TORRINGTON – Barring a drastic change to the statewide public health orders to combat the spread of COVID-19, there will be a Goshen County Fair parade in just over a week’s time.
The Torrington City Council unanimously approved the special permit for the event last Tuesday. Main Street will be closed along the parade’s traditional route from 30th Avenue to the south end of the street.
The parade will be Aug. 6 at 10 a.m. The Torrington Volunteer Fire Department secured the permit and will help ensure the parade goes off safely.
“This is the same thing that’s been going on for a long time,” Torrington Mayor Randy Adams said. “We need to make sure that we thank the fire department for supporting it and helping them out and everything.”
The theme for this year’s parade is ‘Celebrating 100 years’ of the Goshen County Fair. While it’s almost business as usual, there are some differences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notably, there will be no candy distributed along the parade route.
Mint Bar to host biker BBQ event
The Mint Bar on Main Street will be hosting the Mint-Bar BQ and Bike Rally on Saturday. The event will take place at the Mint Bar beginning at 2 p.m., and a group photo will be taken at 2:30 p.m.
Dug’s Smoke Pit will be selling barbecue from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. for $10 a plate. There will be drink specials and a talent show from 6 to 8 p.m.
Owner Ethan Fitch was unanimously granted a special event permit for the barbecue pit to be set up and cook on Main Street.
“Everybody’s supposed to show up around 2 p.m. and we planned to take a picture of all the bikes, and then they’re going to go ride their bikes around, then they can come back to the bar, have a drink and listen to music,” Fitch said.
Lions Club set for
Arts and Crafts Festival
The TCC approved a special event permit for the Torrington Lions Club Arts and Crafts Festival, scheduled for Aug. 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Pioneer Park.
Valerie Grant, speaking on behalf of the Lions Club, said the club is planning to host an array of events as a part of the fair.
“This will be our sixth year we’ve done this summer craft fair,” Grant said. “For years, we’ve always done the holiday bazaar, and we decided to add the summer fair.”
The event will feature live music, a beer garden by Open Barrel Brewing Company and possibly a cornhole tournament, provided it’s approved by Goshen County Public Health.
“We wanted to have a cornhole tournament, and we visited with Heather Saul (of GCPH) about that – you know the beanbags and the sanitation. We would serve concessions and I visited with Eric (Avila, health inspector) about that. I kind of visited with them before I even filled out the permit and stuff.”
