The Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival Committee released a statement this morning in response to its decision to cancel the Saturday evening portion of the festival on Oct. 19, due to inclement weather.

It is addressed, "Dear sponsors, vendors, volunteers, friends and patrons...

"On behalf of the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Chamber of Commerce, we would like to thank you for your continued support of the Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival. While it was a very difficult decision to cancel Saturday evening’s performances, the safety of the attendees, volunteers, vendors and staff were of the foremost concern in the decision-making process. 

"The ongoing and continued dialogue with Richmond Hill Police Chief, Mitch Shores, and Richmond Hill Fire Department Chief, Brendon Greene, and Capital A Productions who managed Saturday’s talent, it was unanimously determined that the immense amount of rain and accumulated standing water from Tropical Storm Nestor made for dangerous and unsafe conditions.

"The Seafood Festival Committee and the Chamber Board of Directors apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment associated with the cancelation. The Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival represents so many things for the Richmond Hill community at large and the safety of our guests, sponsors, and volunteers is always our number one priority. Free Sunday admission was a token of goodwill by the event committee, especially for our non-profit vendor partners whose major source of annual funding comes from this event.

"The Seafood Festival was created with the idea of allowing non-profits in our community an opportunity to generate revenue for their causes by way of a large event that would generate enough traffic to boost their fundraising. As it grew, businesses, both part of and outside of the gates, gained visibility and great traction. We hoped that a free gate on Sunday would inspire even more people to attend— hopefully leaving all vendors and non-profits an opportunity to benefit from the event. 

"We appreciate your understanding and the care exercised by all to ensure the safety of everyone involved. We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to hosting an even bigger and better event next year."