The Greater Columbus Arts Council announced on Thursday that the 2021 Columbus Arts Festival has been canceled.
In a press release, the council said the board of trustees voted to cancel the festival due to the public health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is a heartbreaking decision to make; however, there is simply too much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic to responsibly host an event of this magnitude in early June,” said Tom Katzenmeyer, president and CEO of the Arts Council. “We explored every option we could think of and in the end we had to accept that there was no feasible way to make the Columbus Arts Festival happen this year.”
The council cited the still high number of reported cases, new virus variants and the slow rate of vaccine distribution factored into the board's decision.
“As much as we desperately want to celebrate a return to gatherings this year, we recognize that we must put the health and safety of our patrons, artists, performers, vendors and sponsors first,” said Katzenmeyer.
Additionally, the council announced the festival will return in June 2022 at a new location in the Arena District.
The Columbus' Jazz & Rib Fest also announced Thursday morning that the event would be canceled for 2021.
