SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Springfield City Council announced this week it's canceling CultureFest this year, citing limited resources. 


What You Need To Know

  • Springfield's CultureFest was canceled for the second straight year 

  • Last year, it was canceled following threats from unproven comments about Haitian immigrants

  • This year, the city said it doesn't have enough resources

It's the second time CultureFest has been canceled. Last year, it was called off for the first time in 30 years out of concern after there were several days of bomb threats to city buildingsschools and hospitals. The threats stemmed from unproven claims circulated social media, accusing Haitian immigrants in the town were killing and eating people's pets.

These claims were further perpetuated by political figures, like Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump, who used it in a debate last year against former Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“We deeply regret having to cancel CultureFest, as we know it is a beloved event for our community,” said City Manager Bryan Heck in a Facebook post last year. “However, the safety of our residents and visitors must come first.”

This year, officials cited not having enough resources as well as the renovations happening in the downtown plaza, where the festival is held in September of every year to celebrate diversity, arts and culture.

"The City of Springfield will not be resuming the CultureFest celebration moving forward,” said Logan Cobbs, Springfield’s community development director. “While we remain deeply committed to honoring and celebrating the rich diversity that makes our community unique, organizing this event requires significant staff, time and resources, which are currently needed for essential city services.”

The future of the festival remains uncertain. There were discussions in the meeting of encouraging another group to put on their own CultureFest and the city would do what it could to provide assistance.