The Riverina Field Days have been cancelled for 2020, with the organisers citing community health concerns and the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic as the reasons for the shuttering of the event.
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The event - which was initially due to be held at the Griffith Showgrounds over May 15 and 16 - was postponed in March due to coronavirus restrictions, with a new date set for September 4 and 5.
However, the organisers announced on Monday they will be calling off the 2020 event, with plans to still move forward with the 2021 edition on May 14 and 15 of next year.
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Organiser of the Field Days Roly Zappacosta said it was a "roller-coaster of decisions" which led to the cancellation, but ultimately the organisers did not want to hold an event while coronavirus concerns were still prevalent.
"We aren't willing to put our community at risk by having travelling exhibitors or mass gatherings in our city," Mr Zappacosta said.
"As much we'd like to return to 'normal' life, it's going to take some time before people feel comfortable attending events.
"When we first postponed our event from May to September, we were quite confident that by September things were going to be bright. In fact, we were very close to resume planning - however the situation in Victoria has not given us any confidence to pursue a successful and safe field day this year."
Mr Zappacosta said while the cancellation will no doubt have an impact on the amount of tourist money brought into the city, the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 restrictions made it too difficult to organise the event properly.
"With the current restrictions it was very difficult to navigate and COVID is too unpredictable," Mr Zappacosta said.
"It's just too risky and the burning question of 'what if?' [is there].
"Our tourism dollar is also impacted - A high number of exhibitors would stay a minimum of two nights in Griffith, eat, fuel up and visit local shops."
The cancellation comes after the organisers of the Henty Field Days announced the cancellation of the 2020 event, labeling the obstacles to run a successful and safe event 'insurmountable'.
With the Field Days not going ahead for 2020, it leaves only a handful of events in the city attempting to still go ahead with their 2020 edition, with the Griffith Show and the Griffith Vintage Festival planning for events over the October long weekend.
