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The 2026 Lexington Blueberry Festival has been canceled following recent flooding and concerns about unsafe conditions at Lexington Community Park.
The festival was scheduled for August 20 through 23, but the City of Lexington and the Lexington Blueberry Festival Committee announced Monday that the four-day celebration cannot safely proceed at the park.
Organizers said the decision came after evaluating the effects of the recent flooding and the conditions at the festival grounds.
While the cancellation is a major disappointment for organizers, vendors, performers and the thousands of people who typically attend the annual event, officials said the safety of festival guests, volunteers, vendors, performers and participants must come first.
The Blueberry Festival is more than a summer event for Lexington. Organizers describe it as a community tradition that brings together families, friends, neighbors, businesses, volunteers and visitors each year.
Volunteers had already spent countless hours preparing for the 2026 celebration before flooding forced the cancellation.
Several Festival Traditions Will Continue
Although the festival itself will not take place at Lexington Community Park, organizers say several longstanding Blueberry Festival traditions will continue at alternate locations.
The first will be the 2026 Miss Blueberry Pageant Crowning, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 20, at Heartland Church in Lexington.
The event will officially introduce and celebrate the new 2026 Miss Blueberry title holders.
The Ninth Annual Queen’s Luncheon will also continue Sunday morning, August 23, at The Blueberry Patch.
The luncheon will provide an opportunity to celebrate with the newly crowned Miss Blueberry title holders and invited guests. Organizers note that the luncheon is a ticketed event.
Sunday Funday Parade Still On
Perhaps the biggest piece of good news for festivalgoers is that the Sunday Funday Parade will still take place.
The parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, August 23, giving Lexington residents and visitors an opportunity to maintain one of the festival’s most popular traditions even though the larger event has been canceled.
Organizers are encouraging people to line the parade route, wave to participants and help bring some Blueberry Festival spirit to Lexington.
The parade will provide a chance for the community to gather together following a difficult week for the festival.
Looking Ahead to 2027
Festival organizers expressed gratitude to the sponsors, vendors, entertainers, volunteers, participants and community partners who had already invested time and resources into preparing for this year’s event.
They also thanked the community for its patience and understanding as Lexington deals with the effects of the flooding.
Although the 2026 festival will not happen as originally planned, organizers emphasized that the community spirit behind the event remains.
The cancellation also comes one year before a significant milestone for the festival.
Organizers say they are looking forward to welcoming everyone back for an even bigger festival in 2027, when the Lexington Blueberry Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
For now, residents can still take part in the traditions that will continue this week — the Miss Blueberry crowning Thursday, the Queen’s Luncheon Sunday morning and the Sunday Funday Parade Sunday afternoon.
The festival committee says the goal is to preserve those traditions while putting safety first following the flooding.
