The Webster Parish Fair Parade has been canceled.
Organizers for the Fair Parade said the decision was made to cancel the event after exhausting various alternative routes and in conjunction with state law since absentee voting will take place that Tuesday. Louisiana law prevents anyone from blocking the roads to a courthouse during voting hours.
Fair organizer Donnie Irby said the decision was not an easy one to make, but with only a week’s notice and a limited amount of volunteers there was no viable alternative.
“We only have so much time,” Irby said. “We’d have to come up with more barricades, more volunteers; we don’t have a the time to put that all together. If we tried to just shorten the route, we usually have so many entrees that by the time they got back where we’re supposed to be, floats would still be trying to come out and there would be a huge congestion there.
Also, we definitely don’t want people blaming us because they couldn’t get to the courthouse to vote.”
Irby said in the end it all boils down to safety and allowing people easy access to the courthouse.
“We had to weigh all of those options,” he said. “If we had more time it would be different, but we don’t. We only have a week.”
The parade was set to run Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m., but those wishing to get out and enjoy the evening can still attend the fair itself since fair gates open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Tuesday night only, the fair is offering a $1 gate fee and $1 rides. The rest of the week, the gate entrance fee will be $2.
The Webster Parish Fair will be in Minden Oct. 3-7.
