Due to the developments in the coronavirus pandemic organisers of the Millthorpe Markets have called off the popular Autumn market.
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The decision to call off the event, which was to raise money for Millthorpe Public School on April 5, was made after the federal government advised all gatherings over 500 people be cancelled in the immediate future.
Millthorpe Markets member Ellie McNamara said it was a tough decision to call off the event and prior to the federal government's announcement on Friday, the committee had started its emergency management plan.
"We are a small volunteer committee from Millthorpe P and C, we were advised by NSW Health about the best way to approach the market," Ms McNamara said.
"It's probably not a terrible thing given the dangers to the elderly and the [vulnerable] in the community."
Ms McNamara said most of the feedback was understanding about the decision to cancel the event, and for a lot of stall holders it wouldn't be the only event they were involved with that would be called-off or postponed.
"These are very unusual times and we need to work within the [guidelines] that are available to us," she said.
"We are only three and a half weeks out and, obviously our planning we very well advanced.
"This is the start of what will be a pretty in depth process for our volunteer committee.
"We always have around the 300 [stalls] mark and that's a lot of people to get in contact with."
Ms McNamara said the committee was fortunate that two markets were held each year so they would still be able to run the Christmas market at the end of the year. About 10,000 people attended the Christmas market within the first few hours in December last year.
"We're very blessed that we have a the support of our community and our school," she said.
"The committee would just love to thank the community for their support, we haven't taken the decision lightly and we hope to see everyone at the Christmas market."
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
