The Board of Directors of the Carmel International Arts Festival has announced the 2020 Festival scheduled for September 26-27 has been cancelled.
Many different scenarios for a safe physical-distancing, in-person festival were considered before making the decision to cancel. However, the expected attendance, out-of-state exhibitors and recent surges of COVID-19 around the nation were major considerations in the recommendation from the Mayor Jim Brainard.
The CIAF board is in the planning stages for the 2021 festival, scheduled for Sept. 25-26, 2021.
“This festival brings amazingly talented artists and nearly 30,000 people to a two-day event in our wonderful city, I am truly saddened that we have to cancel,” stated Rachel Ferry, executive director of the event. “With the festival scheduled in late September, we were so hopeful that we could still have an in-person event. But we must take the recommendation of city officials very seriously. The safety of our artists and our community must be our priority.”
Brainard agreed that public safety is the top priority for the city and any event held here.
“While it is very disappointing that one of the community’s favorite events has to cancel the live, in-person festival due to safety concerns related to the pandemic, we must do what is in the long-term best interest of the community and the artists,” Brainard said. “We want to stay safe so that we can all gather together in celebration of the arts next year.”
