Cabin Fever Days 2021 won't happen

The Cabin Fever Days Board of Directors announced Thursday that Cabin Fever Days has been postponed until 2022.

That means no famous Bar Stool Races or other activities in February 2021 due to concern about spreading coronavirus.

Cabin Fever Days is an annual celebration in the Canyon communities and thousands typically turn out to watch people race in bar stools and other sleds down Sugar Hill in Martin City.

The event has garnered nationwide attention in the past.

“This decision from our volunteer Board of Directors was unanimous.  Nobody wanted to be able to pull it off as much as our team.  These folks give hundreds of hours each year to breathe life into our cherished festival,” the directors said in a Facebook post. “After thoroughly evaluating our options, we came to the inevitable conclusion that risking the safety of our community is a chance we can't afford to take. Thanks so much to our sponsors, participants, volunteers, and attendees.  Your support over the last 43 years has raised tens of thousands of dollars for important causes right here in the canyon.”

Cabin Fever Days is just one of several events that have been recently canceled across the Flathead Valley as coronavirus cases continue to move upward.

The Columbia Falls Rotary in the past few weeks announced it had canceled the Night of Lights parade as well as its annual Brunch with Santa.

On Friday alone, Flathead County reported 160 new cases, with 2,096 active. All told, about 7,263 people have contracted the virus in the county and statewide, that number is now at 66,436, with 727 deaths and 483 active hospitalizations.