New London — Sailfest, the region’s largest annual summer event, which brings thousands of people to the New London area for food, games and entertainment, is canceled this year due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cancellation of the festival was announced Wednesday, a joint decision by the Downtown New London Association, the cities of New London and Groton and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which all spend months each year in preparation for the large crowds. The Mashantuckets have sponsored the fireworks display since 1993, one of the main draws of the three-day event.

New London Mayor Michael Passero expressed disappointment in the cancellation but said in a statement that precautions needed to be taken “for the sake of our communities and visitors.” He said there is no way to mitigate the risks associated with the large crowds gathering on the city’s waterfront and in downtown.

Organizers estimate more than 250,000 people descended on the area for the festivities in the past several years and poured millions of dollars into the local economy. This year will be only the second time in the festival's 42-year history it has been canceled. Sailfest was sidelined in 2000 when OpSail 2000 Connecticut and its parade of tall ships visited the city.

The sponsor of the event, The Downtown New London Association, is planning an alternate version of Sailfest and bringing volunteers, vendors and entertainers together in a virtual format. Barbara Neff, owner of Neff Productions and executive director of Sailfest, said the virtual event will include a virtual Sailfest 5K Road Race, performances by entertainers and videos of past Sailfest fireworks displays.

Neff, who has produced the event since 1996, said the effort will be focused on getting people to patronize local restaurants and have Sailfest watch parties at home. The traditional event typically is a boost in business for some local bars and restaurants, though the retail landscape has shifted this year because of state restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neff said that the decision to cancel came with a host of complications.

“The committee has been talking for weeks on how we move forward,” she said. “It’s not just canceling events. We have 70 entertainers. Boaters have paid for moorings. Vendors paid for spots. There was a lot of discussion on how to do this.”

Vendors were offered a choice of getting a full refund or a 50% refund in exchange for securing a spot in the 2021 event. Entertainers are being asked to voluntarily send along videos of performances to go along with the virtual event but will not be visiting New London.

Neff said she was disappointed in the event being canceled but “personally, I think it's the right thing to do.” Sailfest would have been held between July 10 and July 13 this year. The virtual event will occur during that same time frame.

“I don’t think right now we want to put that many people together,” Neff said.

Rodney Butler, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, agreed and in a statement called the cancellation “an unfortunate but necessary move we must all make in order to protect Connecticut residents.”

“Although disappointed we’re unable to enjoy the wonders of this iconic annual tradition, our priority is ensuring the health and safety of our local communities. We look forward to continuing our support for one of the most spectacular events in all of New England,” he said.

“While we’re all disappointed, the need to control crowds that gather each year at Fort Griswold, Eastern Point Beach, and all along the City of Groton riverbank is simply insurmountable given the remaining risks from COVID-19,” City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick said in a statement.

New London annually incorporates overtime expenses in police, fire and public works department budgets for Sailfest-related duties. Passero said he plans to notify the City Council with any plans to redistribute that money, but with the uncertainty over revenues he said there is a good chance the money would not be available.

For more information on the virtual event, visit www.sailfest.org or Sailfest on Facebook in the coming weeks.

 g.smith@theday.com