In recent years, the annual festival in Boyd Wisconsin called Ringelspiel has been held around Memorial Day each year, due in part to issues with getting a carnival booked for June. This year however, the stay-at-home order extended to May 26 by Governor Evers makes large gatherings deemed ‘non-essential’ by Madison strictly “verboten,”—that is “forbidden,”— through May 26 this year, meaning that the long time tradition of a community known as “The Friendly Town,” will not take place for 2020.

“We have to cancel it this year,” said Boyd Chamber President Jeff Zais regarding the annual late spring tradition. Memorial Day 2020 happens to fall on Monday, May 25, meaning that the Chamber would have to make a decision about the festival in any case, but the unknown number of people who would attend the event along with the prior stated difficulty of getting a carnival in summer (Boyd is one of the last towns along State Highway 29 to host them) meant that the festival was in doubt as soon as the stay-at-home order got extended down in Madison. But there might still be hope, at least for other summer gatherings.

“We might have something this Fall, in August,” Zais shared of future possibilities, also bringing up the prospect of extra fireworks on the Fourth of July or an extra-special street dance this fall. Whatever happens, the near future hasn’t taken place—yet. Stay tuned and watch for further announcements as this summer unfolds.