Soldiers from the East and Middle Kingdoms fight for the battle of the bridge at the Pennsic War at Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock on Thursday August 12, 2010.

The 49th annual Pennsic War that had been scheduled to run from July 24 to Aug. 9 at the Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, has been postponed until next summer, according to event officials.

“Pretty much what would have been this year is going to continue into next year,” said Alex Hines, a spokesman for the event.

The role-playing event allows people to dress, act and compete in the styles from the medieval period.

It draws between 8,000 to 10,000 people every year to the “war,” where scheduled activities include large melee battles, tournaments, archery, stage performances, dancing and other medieval events and shops.

Hines said organizers carefully considered the health of local residents and those attending the event. He said the event remained a possibility as long as it could, but right now, there wasn't enough information about whether the county would be open for business in time.

“At some point, you have to make the decision that there's not enough time to wait for that uncertainty,” Hines said.

James Brezel, president of Cooper's Lake Campground, said the business and the event have been communicating throughout the pandemic and were mutually understanding about the postponement.

“Of course nobody wants to cancel,” Brezel said. With everything going on we need to think about the concerns of safety of the people coming here and our staff.”

This is an excerpt from a larger article that will appear in Friday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to learn how the event's postponement will affect the township.