The East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society is canceling its annual summer fair, scheduled for July 25, because of the ongoing pandemic.
"With the current health crisis, it would be impossible to have a fair that would be safe for the public and our members," the organization's board of directors wrote in a statement announcing the cancellation.
This year would have marked the 124th anniversary of the fair, which is held on the L.V.I.S.'s grounds on Main Street in East Hampton and traditionally features live music, a carousel, vintage clothing sales, raffles, a silent auction, and food, gift, and flower vendors.
The event is a major source of funding for the organization, which provides scholarships for high school seniors and maintains the village's Nature Trail, ponds, parks, and trees, among other charitable endeavors. The L.V.I.S. would not be able to recoup some of the revenue from the fair by holding the raffles and silent auction online, said Bonnie Pizzorno, a co-chairwoman for the fair, because many of the prizes are for restaurant dinners and other outings that the pandemic has also curtailed.
The L.V.I.S.'s shops, another source of income, have been closed because of the pandemic.
Ms. Pizzorno said the organization will have to depend on donations to make up for the loss of revenue. It is also gearing up to reopen the shops when the state allows.
"Before reopening, L.V.I.S. is mandated to have a Business Safety Reopening Plan by the state, which must be presented to the Department of Health upon request," the board members said. The plan for the shops, they said, is to install air purifiers in the common areas, Plexiglas partitions with credit-card size openings in front of the cash registers, and to provide masks and gloves for employees and volunteers, and hand sanitizer to customers who will be required to wear a mask and to practice social distancing while shopping.