It was unclear whether The Arnold Sports Festival and Expo would return to Columbus after government officials stepped in and canceled major parts of the festival, as a dozen states were just reporting their first cases of COVID-19.
At the time, Ohio did not have any confirmed cases, but the number of spectators expected for the festival’s trade show and expo portions, the nature of general-admission competitions, and competitors flying in from across the country and the globe, were cause for concern.
The return of the festival is currently scheduled for March 4 – 7, 2021, according to the festival’s website.
Both Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine have since recalled the announcement as a difficult decision at the time; major cancelations such as March Madness and other sporting events, as well as CDC recommendations regarding community-wide mass gatherings, would not come until over a week later.
Columbus organizers have taken various approaches to canceling or rescheduling the city’s largest events since the announcement regarding The Arnold. The Memorial Tournament has been pushed back to July, while Stonewall Columbus has postponed the Columbus Pride Festival and Parade to October after convening with government officials.
For more information on the Arnold Sports Festival, visit arnoldsportsfestival.com/usa.