Harrogate's Charity Stray Bonfire cancelled for 2020

It was due to be the 50th anniversary event, this will be held in 2021 instead.

Author: Edward BreslinPublished 13th Sep 2020

The organisers of the annual Harrogate Charity Stray Bonfire have announced that they've had to cancel the bonfire for 2020.

The popular annual event is organised entirely by volunteers from the Harrogate District Round Table.

They've described the recent announcements from the government banning gatherings of more than 6 people as the 'final nail in the coffin' for the event.

This year's event was due to be the 50th anniversary bonfire, this will now be postponed until 2021 instead.

The organisers have said the cancellation of the 2020 event will have a knock-on effect on the local scout groups who provide refreshments, the local schools who benefit from the sale of glow items and the local charities who receive thousands of pounds in cash donations from the public.

Chairman of the Harrogate District Round Table Andrew Rickard said

“We are genuinely devastated to have to postpone the 50th anniversary of the Harrogate Stray Bonfire and we have held off making this decision for as long as we possibly could, in the hope that it could go ahead.

"Unfortunately we have had to make the decision to postpone our 50th Stray Bonfire until 2021."