The coronavirus pandemic has once again canceled a tiny Maine town’s annual celebration of a small fish and the arrival of spring.
Columbia Falls, located in Down East Maine, is home to the Downeast Salmon Federation’s Annual Smelt Fry. The event celebrates migratory fish, with a particular focus on smelts.
The salmon federation said Tuesday that organizers are “going to take one more year off from our favorite rite of spring and cancel our 2021 Smelt Fry.” The event, usually held in April, often draws large crowds to feast on smelts in the town of about 560 people.
The event last took place in April 2021. Organizers said the safest decision was to cancel the event as they did in 2020 and “look ahead to a smeltier spring 2022.”