Fresno State cancels annual Peach Blossom Festival over coronavirus concerns

For the first time in 62 years, the Peach Blossom Festival will not be happening at Fresno State.

The annual interpretive performance event for first- to sixth-grade students has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus. The two-day event was supposed to start Thursday and would have included thousands of children from throughout the Central Valley.

More than 5,000 students participated in the event last year.

In canceling the event, organizers were “following evolving guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. State Department and the CSU Chancellor’s Office, as well as state and local public health agencies.”

In a statement signed by the director and associate director, the pair said “the safety and well-being of our campus community is our highest priority, as is maintaining a safe environment for those who visit our campus. Given that many people are concerned about attending large gatherings right now, CSU Chancellor’s Office felt it was prudent to cancel the Peach Blossom Festival.”

The organization is working to refund registration fees and distribute pre-ordered T-shirts, which are available for pick up in the Peach Blossom office, Speech Arts 104, any day this week.

Next year’s festival is already being planned for March 13-14, 2021.