WEST JORDAN, Utah, May 8, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) – The city of West Jordan announced Friday it has canceled its Western Stampede.
“This was a difficult decision, the Western Stampede is not only an event that brings people within our city together, but brings in people from all over the state,” West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton said in a prepared statement.
“Because of its popularity, we recognize it will be difficult to comply with social distancing guidelines, put forth by the health department. Our residents’ health and safety are our top priority.”
The festivities were set to take place on and after July 4. Burton held off on making the decision as long as possible in hopes that State and County public health guidelines would be further relaxed, the statement said. Finally, contractual agreements required a decision.
“In addition to concerns regarding social distancing at such a popular event, Salt Lake County is not currently accepting applications for mass gatherings,” Burton said. “We don’t know if or when those applications will be taken this summer. It’s important that the city not expend funds on an event that may not take place.”
“I’ve asked staff to start looking forward to next year’s Western Stampede. We’ve already made plans to ensure it will be more spectacular than ever before,” Burton said.
