Coronavirus Takes a Bite Out of Aledo Rhubarb Fest

The much-anticipated Aledo Rhubarb Festival has been canceled for the first time in 29 years due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Darlene Johnson, founder of the Rhubarb Fest, receiving flowers from Mayor Chris Hagloch

The annual Rhubarb Fest was scheduled for June 5th-6th. It is a 2-day event where people come from all over to get rhubarb pies, listen to local music, and shop local vendors. The Festival usually brings in about 10,000 people to a town of only about 3,500.

This decision was not taken lightly, Brooke Lindell, a regular attendee of the Rhubarb Fest, said, “This is going to have a big impact financially on a lot of businesses.”

Brooke Lindell and Lauren Morby at the 2018 Aledo Rhubarb Fest

She went on to explain that she knows her church gets a lot of their funding for the year from the Rhubarb Fest.

Even though this will have a big financial impact on the community, Lindell agrees with the decision made solely by the Rhubarb Fest Committee, explaining that they would have had no way to plan the Rhubarb Fest to provide for social distancing.

The Rhubarb Fest Committee hopes to be able to have the Rhubarb Fest again next summer and Lindell looks forward to being able to have some rhubarb and to hang out with her friends and community.

Watch Lindell’s full interview below to get a more in-depth look at the impact that this cancelation is having on this small community.