WILMINGTON — Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wilmington Historical Society board has decided to cancel this year’s Wilmington Whiteface Whiskey Run & Festival.

The next Whiskey Run & Festival is now scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2021. With a 5K race added to the usual 10K race, organizers say it will be bigger and better. For more information, go to www.adkwhiskeyrun.com.

Over the past three years, the 10K footrace was part of the Wilmington Whiteface Heritage Festival, but now the whole thing is being branded under the Whiskey Run name. This would have been the fourth annual Whiskey Run.

The name is historical in origin: During the War of 1812, the Wilmington area supplied rye whiskey that was part of soldiers’ rations.

Last year’s Heritage Festival included War of 1812 reenactors, demonstrations of blacksmithing, quilt making and porcupine quill jewelry, craft and food vendors, and whiskey and beer tasting and sales.

Other Wilmington Historical Society programs and events will be postponed or rescheduled as needed. Regular archive hours and monthly Open Discussions are suspended until further notice. For more information, go to www.wilmingtonhistoricalsociety.org or WilmingtonHistoricalSociety on Facebook.

In the meantime, the Historical Society continues its work responding to emails, doing historical and genealogical research, writing grants, preserving photos and artifacts, and continuing to do outreach through the media.