By Sue Moore
Big and little events around the area have either been cancelled or postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The Vicksburg Village Trash drop-off scheduled for Saturday, May 9 has been postponed to July 18. It will be located on Wellhouse Drive near the Vicksburg Little League fields.
The longest-running observance cancelled for this year is the 4th of July parade and festivities in Schoolcraft. This would have been the 95th celebration in this small town of about 1,000 residents. It usually swells to 8,000-10,000 for the parade and all the other activities throughout the village.
The postponement of the 40th Annual Vicksburg Old Car Festival until Friday and Saturday, August 20-21, was announced by founder and organizer Skip Knowles. “We have been fortunate that the show has gone on this long without interruption, except for the day of a rain deluge that shortened the event to Friday and about an hour on Saturday.”
The running of the 33rd annual Hearty Hustle 5k has been cancelled but will still go on as a virtual race May 9 to May 16 via the Vicksburg Community Schools Foundation web site.
The 11th opening of the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market is still unknown as the state of Michigan loosens the restrictions on how people gather. It has usually opened the third Saturday in May and is hoping it can get started in early June.
Vicksburg and Schoolcraft Little Leagues are both on hold for their season openers.
The Vicksburg Historical Society opening of its buildings and grounds has usually occurred in the middle of May. This year, its managers are waiting to hear the recommendations of the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on how many people are allowed to gather in one place.
Memorial Day observances in Vicksburg and Fulton have been cancelled as well as the parades that were led by Vicksburg High School’s Big Red Machine marching band and lots of area fire trucks.
Schoolcraft’s Memorial Day parade is cancelled as well as the speeches and flag observance in the cemetery.
The village-wide garage sales in Schoolcraft scheduled on May 29 and 30 have been cancelled.
The Schoolcraft Spring Clean-up has been cancelled from its June 6 date.
Spring sports for high schools have all been cancelled.
Then there are high school graduation plans in Schoolcraft and Vicksburg. They are still in the planning stage with each school hoping to give their seniors a proper send off. Vicksburg is planning a streaming video event but hoping for a more traditional in-person event later in the summer.