The Four States Ag Expo has been postponed because of the threat of the coronavirus, organizers announced Friday.

The event has been rescheduled for Sept. 25-27, said coordinator Cindy Claire.

“We wanted to be proactive and not put people in harm’s way,” she said. “There is a lot of concern out there about large events making things worse. As Ag Expo organizers, we listened and understood the fears, and feel this is the safest decision.”

In 2018, the three-day event held at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds attracted 8,400 people.

Clinic organizers and nearly 70 vendors are being contacted about the postponement.

“The vendors have been understanding and are glad to come back in September,” Claire said.

Some vendors and volunteers were already canceling due to fears of the coronavirus, a highly infectious respiratory sickness that has caused a worldwide pandemic.

As of Friday afternoon, there were no confirmed cases in Southwest Colorado.

Earlier Friday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recommended public gatherings with more than 250 people be canceled.

On Thursday, Montezuma County officials recommended that events involving groups of people not be held for 21 days, and that people should avoid attending events.

Delaying one of the county’s larger events will “have some ripple effect on the economy, but we will make it back up in September,” said county administrator Shak Powers.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com