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FAIRMONT -- The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation or postponement of countless public events. The 2020 Minnesota Governor's Pheasant Hunting Opener, originally set for the weekend of Oct. 10 in Fairmont, is no exception.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the opener would be postponed until 2021, with Fairmont remaining the host community.
"It was a conversation and a decision made by the local planning committee as well as Explore Minnesota, the DNR and the governor's office. We were all on the same page that it was just best to postpone until 2021," said Stephanie Busiahn, executive director of Visit Fairmont and a member of the event planning committee.
Busiahn was part of a local contingent that traveled to Austin for the 2019 governor's opener and saw how that community handled its hosting duties.
"There was no way we could have pulled off an event like Austin had," she said, citing social distancing and other restrictions currently in place. "You just can't do that with the world we live in right now. Could it have happened? What would it have looked like? There were so many unknowns, so much uncertainty."
The planning committee will take a step back to regroup and reassess their work so far before gearing up for the rescheduled opener set for Oct. 16, 2021.
"We can essentially keep a lot of the work that we've already done, but just tweak it," Busiahn said. "We just have to figure out what this is going to look like in a COVID world and roll with it that way for 2021."
Even though the 2021 event is billed as a hunting opener, hunting is only one component of the affairs planned. There will be a community meal, media tours, youth involvement and other events.
"This is a huge opportunity for us. It's an opportunity for us to really celebrate and showcase our community and our county and to elevate ourselves on a statewide platform to show the great things we have going on here. There's so many great things, so many assets that we have that we take for granted," Busiahn said.
She credits the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota for their assistance with ideas and timelines in planning the governor's opener, but the local involvement has been outstanding.
"The local committee and the community have been phenomenal in coming together and rallying around this event. We are very, very lucky," she said.
The planning committee is comprised of 13 individuals who represent area conservation groups, agriculture, business and industry, entertainment and local government. The members also chair the subcommittees for other events such as the community banquet or media tours.
Although there will not be an official governor's pheasant opener this year, the committee still plans for some social media and marketing campaigns to promote area pheasant hunting this season.
The Minnesota Governor's Pheasant Hunting Opener was established in 2011, making the 2021 event the 10th annual opener, which focuses on the state's hunting heritage, culture traditions and the economic impact of the sport while promoting travel and tourism. The opener is a cooperative promotion between the host community, the Minnesota DNR and Explore Minnesota Tourism, providing the host city with an opportunity to highlight area hunting and other recreational activities, attractions and points of interest.