Jessica Micallef
The Macedon CFA Flea Market, which usually attracts “several hundred people”, has been cancelled for 2021.
The decision to cancel the market, scheduled for Saturday, February 27, is in response to COVID-19 restrictions which cap public gatherings at 100 people.
Macedon CFA captain Ross Luke said it was a tough decision to cancel the market.
“We were holding off as long as we could because we weren’t sure what restrictions were going to be like, but it’s too restrictive,” he said.
“We tend to have several hundred people attend the market so the question was how do we do social distancing.
“The only time the market has been cancelled was after Ash Wednesday in 1983.”
The market is the CFA’s primary source of fundraising, with all the funds raised going towards the brigade.
Mr Luke has encouraged people who would usually attend the market, to instead shop at local businesses and support the community.
“A lot of businesses have donated items for our markets in previous years so we thought it would be best for the community to shop local,” he said.
“We just want to support the local businesses who have supported the brigade over the years.”
The next Macedon CFA Flea Market is expected to take place on February 26, 2022.
