Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop has announced that, due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty surrounding activities this fall, the Ethnic Expo planned for October 9-10, has been suspended for 2020.

Ethnic Expo is a multicultural festival which has been organized by the City of Columbus since 1983. This would have marked the 37th celebration of the diversity which makes Columbus such a unique and welcoming community. It has been made possible by generous donations from the presenting sponsor, First Financial Bank, for the last ten years, and other sponsors including Coca-Cola, ERMCO Electric, and Milestone. This annual event is also made possible, in part, with support from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Columbus Area Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, as well as the Columbus Area Visitors Center.

“First Financial has been a proud title sponsor of the Ethnic Expo for the past ten years, and we look forward to continuing our support and participation in future celebrations of the diversity and collaboration that draws our community together,” said Al Roszczyk, Regional President for First Financial Bank.

Mayor Jim Lienhoop commented that, “We look forward to the time when we can once again gather and celebrate as a community, but want to ensure that we are not putting our residents, neighbors, and our most vulnerable at risk. It was a difficult decision to not hold Ethnic Expo this year, but we want to be responsible in keeping the community safe.”