GREENFIELD — 2020 was supposed to be the 51st year of the Riley Festival in Greenfield, but that will have to wait.
Organizers of what's called "Indiana's Largest Four Day Festival" took a look at the COVID-19 landscape and realized they would not be able to hold the event this year. Too many people in downtown Greenfield. Social distancing would be difficult.
The festival is named for Greenfield native son James Whitcomb Riley, the famous Hoosier poet and writer who was born there in 1849.
The decision to cancel comes at a time when many Indiana summer traditions have been put on hold for another year. Many county fairs aren't taking place or have been scaled back to 4-H activities only. The Indiana State Fair was canceled. It's likely other fall festivals will meet the same fate as Greenfield's.
For the Hancock County city, it's wait until October 2021.
