A Henry County institution is the latest victim of the COVID-19 situation.

  The 43rd annual Geranium Festival, a spring mainstay in downtown McDonough, was scheduled for May 16. However, it was announced over the weekend that the event has been postponed until September 19.

  A notice was posted Sunday afternoon by a representative of the McDonough Lions Club, the festival’s chief sponsor, on its Facebook page. The decision was made “with much discussion and respect for public safety,” according to the statement.

  The change was not reflected on the festival’s website as of Sunday night. According to a notice posted March 18 on the home page, the eight-week window set forth by the Centers for Disease Control limiting public gatherings to 50 or fewer people is scheduled to end May 10, before the festival’s originally scheduled date.

  “As of March 18, we do not plan to cancel the festival,” the notice read. “This is subject to change.”

  The change came 18 days later.

  The initial notice states that, should the event be cancelled, all vendors would receive a full refund. The social media post announcing the postponement made no reference to refunds but indicated that vendors needed to do nothing.

  It was 1977 when the Henry County Chamber Arts and Crafts Festival was first staged on the ball fields at Big Spring Park. Two years later it was moved to the square and soon outgrew the chamber’s ability to manage it. It was taken over by the Lions Club and exploded in popularity over the next few years.

  Last year’s Geranium Festival featured more than 400 booths covering the square and reaching out along the adjacent streets, offering arts and crafts as well as food. Thousands of people came out for the day, and the McDonough Lions Club raised $30,000 for various charitable endeavors.