The North Judson Mint Festival is hoping to make a comeback this year. Festival President Donna Henry told the town council last week that while there’s no guarantee that large-scale events will be allowed come June, organizers had have begun holding planning meetings.
“Our theme is Refresh Mint,” she said. “Kind of says it all, huh?”
The Mint Fest has been an annual Father’s Day Weekend tradition in North Judson for more than 40 years, but last year’s event had to be canceled due to COVID-19. The idea of holding a festival during an ongoing pandemic still brings some challenges, and Henry said a big part of the discussions has been coming up with ways to keep visitors as safe as possible.
“We talked about making sure that our vendors are at least six feet apart, their booths are six feet apart,” Henry explained. “We also talked about maybe only having vendors on one side or the other of Lane Street, so that when the lines are lined up at the booths, they have more space across the roadway to maintain social distancing.”
Henry said holding the pageant according to COVID-19 protocols would require some creative thinking. Cooking with Mint may have to be adjusted, while the beer garden could end up being eliminated entirely. Henry said she’s spoken to Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch, and she plans to include him in discussions going forward.
The North Judson Town Council approved the Mint Fest’s special event permit and waived the associated fees.
