June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show canceled

Citing "safety and security concerns," Upper Moreland Township officials have denied a permit for the June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show -- an event that has been a staple of Montgomery County since 1913.

In a statement from the Abington Health Foundation Women’s Board, fair organizers said that the township denied permits for the event, saying municipal officials expressed "safety and security concerns related to numerous local events"

The fair was set to kickoff on June 7.

"After multiple discussions with the Upper Moreland Police Department and Emergency Responders and continual meetings with the June Fete committee, Upper Moreland Township has, out of an abundance of caution, decided to deny the permit application for the June Fete Fair and Horse and Pony Show. The collective opinion of our public safety officials is, that while additional security measures proposed in the revised permit application were appreciated, the high risk of safety and security issues remain," township officials wrote in a statement.

Organizers with the fair said they had tried to assuage the township's concerns in the lead up to the event's planned opening by cancelling evening hours, removing thrill-seeking rides, planning to install weapon detection screening systems at all entrance gates and increasing security coverage for the event.

Yet, township officials, citing violent incidents at other area events, decided to pull the plug.

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"The decision was not made lightly and was based on current safety and security issues that arose at numerous local events that are similar to the June Fete. Recent local events included fights, assaults, robberies, and gun violence that overloaded public safety resources and led to cancellations of partial or all of certain events within our immediate area. The recent safety concerns and dangerous conditions at other local events pose a real and obvious safety issue for the 2024 June Fete Fair and Horse and Pony Show," township officials said in a statement.

In a statement, officials with the Women’s Board of Abington Health Foundation said they were "incredibly disappointed" by the township's decision.

"For the past 111 years, the Women’s Board of Abington Health Foundation has worked diligently to provide this family friendly event for our community. While we are incredibly disappointed that the June Fete Fair and Horse & Pony Show will not take place this year, we respect the Township’s decision and take the safety and security of our community extremely seriously, as this is our top priority," fair organizers said in a statement.

Violent incidents have caused the cancellation of at least two local festivals in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, a carnival at the Exton Square Mall was cancelled after a violent fight was caught on surveillance cameras there.

And, in Wilmington, Delaware, the L.E.A.D. Fest Carnival outside the Concord Mall was cancelled after a teen boy was killed, and another was injured, in a shooting in the parking lot of the event.

More recently, officials at Jersey Shore communities have warned that they intend to be more strict with troublemakers after issues with juveniles at the boardwalks in Ocean City, NJ, and Wildwood, NJ, caused concern.