The Rio Vista Chamber Board of Directors have made the difficult decision to cancel the 73rd Annual Bass Derby & Festival, which was planned for October 9-11, 2020.
“The event takes a great deal of pre-planning and contracts that need to be made now and during the next two months,” said Chamber President Robin Sibert. “Right now we can’t expect our beer and food suppliers to make solid commitments because they are not sure about their supply chains and the effects the pandemic will have on them. Also, many vendors and entertainers are still unsure about the availability of staff.
“It takes a large number of various pieces falling into place as well as time and money to produce a successful fishing derby. Right now, California Wildlife said we can’t have the event until they give permission. There is the very real possibility that the Rio Vista public boat launch, which we use as the major staging area for people to check in their catches, will be under reconstruction and therefore closed.
“We depend heavily on our sponsorships, volunteers and other community partners to make this event happen. Many of these have taken huge financial hits with the COVID pandemic. The board feels it would not be right to take sponsorship money we can find, spend it, then have the Derby cancelled and not be able to return their money.
“While the state has given permission for many businesses to open, the future of large sporting events and gatherings is still very uncertain, and many are saying we won’t see them taking place until after the first of next year. People are still uncertain about crowds, and we have no idea how many will actually attend. And there is no such thing as COVID loss insurance, so the financial risk is great.
“I would hope that those who have supported the Chamber in the past would come together and support us now when we had to make this difficult decision. We understand the impact on the community, but at the same time would not be acting responsibly if we were to incur large debts and put on less than a top-notch event,” she said.
If anyone has questions, please call Robin Sibert at 707-374-4004 or 707-628-5259.