The Abington Health Foundation Women’s Board announced that the annual June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show has been cancelled this year.
The weekend-long fair was scheduled for June 7-9 at the Fairgrounds, 2990 Edge Hill Road in Huntingdon Valley.
According to the Board’s notice, Upper Moreland Township officials denied the permit applications due to safety and security concerns.
“It is the Township’s position, that despite the security measures we proposed to address any concerns, the high risk of safety and security issues remains,” the Board said in a statement.
The 100+ year tradition serves as a fundraiser for the Durham Fund for Nurse Wellness at Jefferson Abington Hospital.
The event features amusement rides, carnival games, live entertainment, food, and vendors for shopping. The weekend also includes a fireworks display, a Horse & Pony Show, professional jugglers and trampoline artists.
From their notice:
Dear Friends:
We regret to share that our longstanding tradition, the June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show, planned for the June 7th weekend, has been cancelled for this year.
Upper Moreland Township has denied our permit applications. This decision was not made lightly by the Township and was based on the Township’s current safety and security concerns related to numerous local events.
We worked collaboratively with the Township for several months to mitigate any potential security risks by implementing the following safety measures:
• Canceling evening hours
• Removing thrill-seeking rides
• Installing weapon detection screening systems at all entrance gates
• Increasing security coverage threefold at a great cost to the Women’s Board
It is the Township’s position, that despite the security measures we proposed to address any concerns, the high risk of safety and security issues remains.
For the past 111 years, the Women’s Board of Abington Health Foundation has worked diligently to provide this family friendly event for our community. While we are incredibly disappointed that the June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show will not take place this year, we respect the Township’s decision and take the safety and security of our community extremely seriously, as this is our top priority.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support of Jefferson Abington Hospital!
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