Beloved downtown Fort Worth arts festival called off again for 2021
February 23,2021
See full CultureMap article by Stephanie Allmon Merry here.
In spring festival news that's disappointing but not shocking, MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival has been canceled for 2021 due to ongoing coronavirus concerns.
The annual festival initially was scheduled for April 15-18, 2021.
It's the second year in a row that producer Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) has called off the beloved spring event due to health concerns and governmental restrictions on large gatherings amid the pandemic. Last year's edition, originally slated for April 16-19, 2020, had been postponed to the tentative date of September 3-6. Then it was called off for good.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we’ve come to the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival,” said Nina Petty, chairwoman of the Festivals and Events Committee for DFWII and member of the DFWII board of directors, in a release. “The safety and well-being of our festivalgoers, artists, entertainers, vendors, volunteers, and sponsors remain our top priority. We had hoped to hold a festival this year; however public health concerns will not allow us to do this safely. We appreciate everyone’s continued support during these times and look forward to seeing everyone next year.”
The next Main St. will take place April 7-10, 2022.
Final plans will be released later this year with overriding consideration given to public health and safety, the organizers say.
“It’s an extremely difficult time for artists and entertainers from across the country,” said Jay Downie, festival producer, in the release. “We encourage everyone to visit our online gallery, browse through participating artists, and support artists and entertainers who have been severely impacted by nationwide festival cancellations. We especially encourage you to check out MAIN ST. artists from around the Metroplex and aspiring artists who started their exhibition journeys with us as Fort Worth Emerging Artists.”
It's the second big festival to call off plans for spring. Fort Worth's cherished Mayfest announced its cancellation on February 1.
For more information, visit www.mainstreetartsfest.org.