Whitefish's Ladies Night Out canceled

The Whitefish Chamber has canceled the popular Ladies Night Out event this fall due to concerns about COVID-19 cases in the valley.

According to information from the chamber, the decision came following a virtual meeting last week with downtown business owners that were concerned about the surging rate of infections locally.

The event typically draws thousands to downtown Whitefish, and is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The chamber had planned to alter the event from a one-night “three-hour madhouse” to a day-long event, Chamber Membership Director Melisa Ellis noted.

"We're obviously disappointed to have to cancel the event," Ellis stated. "Our staff and downtown businesses worked very hard to come up with a way to stage this event safely, and we had a pretty good plan in place to eliminate the crowds and craziness that Ladies Night Out is known for."

Ultimately, however, the chamber and business owners decided it was just too risky.

"At a time when we are fighting just to keep our schools, our businesses and economy open, it seemed irresponsible to us to promote an event that typically brings hordes of happy customers to our downtown area,” Ellis said.