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Received this notice today:
Last night our Board met and after a lengthy discussion we voted to cancel Trainfest for 2020. While we all still have concerns as they relate to the Covid 19 pandemic, the primary reason for the cancellation was not specifically that.
This past spring, the State of Wisconsin constructed a Covid 19 recovery hospital in the space that we utilize for Trainfest, that is, the Wisconsin State Fair Expo Center. We had been trying to get a solid answer on whether the space was going to be available for the event. They were not able to give us confirmation since that decision rests with the Governor’s Office. Without a guarantee, we felt that we could not proceed further in our planning due to the financial liability related to a later cancellation. The Expo Center is our only alternative for holding Trainfest.
Plans for 2021 are already in motion and we would hope that your organization will consider being the highlighted railroad. We understand that this year was the 150th anniversary of Missouri statehood and the celebration of MoPac was to coincide with that. We respect whatever decision that your group makes but would like to proceed with MoPac being our featured railroad in 2021.
With the Trainfest cancellation, we are beginning planning for a Facebook Live event to fill the gap for 2020. This could include the video that your group was preparing. Let us know if there is an interest in this.
Finally, you may receive a letter from Mike Slater, our Superintendent and Trainfest Co-Chair, detailing our decision in more detail. If you have any questions regarding this decision and our future planning, let me know when a good time would be to connect.
Best regards,
Steve Miazga
Manager – Trainfest Celebrate a Railroad
