Ladies Night Out added to list of canceled events

The 11th annual Ladies Night Out scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 4, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Pam King said it was a difficult decision to make, but cost considerations for an event that typically attracts 500 women to 50 to 70 businesses necessitated the move. 

If the event were held, King said, it would look different from years past with social distancing in place and no samples available. 

“Women expect an experience of getting samples and socializing with beverages and food. Now that is being discouraged,” King said.

“We also didn’t think it would be right for us to go out and ask our businesses for money, and we didn’t think it would be right to connect with our sponsors for significant dollars for something that’s going to be less than we had before.”

This year’s theme was to be the “Roaring ’20s.” King said the Chamber and the Ladies Night Out Committee hope the event will return next year. 

In addition to Ladies Night Out, the annual Giro d’Grafton was canceled this month after initially being postponed to August.

King said farmers markets presented by the Chamber will return from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, starting July 9, at the Twin City Plaza parking lot on Wisconsin Avenue. The market will have eight vendors selling farm and food products, but there will be no samples or live entertainment. 

“We want to provide the opportunity for our community to have access to fresh produce and products, but we want to have a shop-and-go mentality,” King said. “It’s not for stay-and-play.”