The event will no longer be put on by the city due to the “significant staff time and resources” required, according to Logan Cobbs, the city’s community development director.
The city is “100% open” to serving as a resource for a group that wants to put on its own CultureFest, Cobbs said Tuesday.
“We continue to look for meaningful ways to engage and celebrate inclusion in cultural expression throughout the year,” Cobbs said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
CultureFest was last held in 2023. It was cancelled last year due to safety concerns, because September marked a run of threats against the city, county, schools and businesses. Those came after false rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets circulated on social media and were amplified nationally by political figures including now-President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the city makes an effort to emphasize culture and diversity and would like to see the event continued by another organization.
“As an organization, we continue to hold the line on culture and diversity, and diversity within the organization and hiring practices,” Rue said.
Springfield City Commissioner Krystal Brown said her first reaction was to feel disheartened but “then I remembered why we are trimming some of the fat.”
“This is not a decision that we made lightly; it really boils down to what are essential services that we can provide to the community at this time,” Cobbs said.
Springfield and Clark County government and nonprofit leaders recently started meeting to discuss the local impacts of reductions in federal spending. This has included layoffs and reductions in service at the Clark County Combined Health District, the cancellation of a more than $200,000 federal food shipment to Second Harvest Food Bank and funds for homelessness.
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