Major Twin Cities concert series cancelled, casting doubt on summer 2021
Rock the Garden at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
(FOX 9) - COVID-19 put a lot of plans on hold last summer and with cases spiking, cancellations of big events next year are beginning.
When the NHL Winter Classic at Target Field was cancelled, many weren’t surprised and when the Vikings said Wednesday they would stop pursuing larger crowds, there was some disappointment but understanding.
When the first major outdoor concert series was cancelled, however, it seemed hopes for a return to normal by summer were crushed.
“Given the uncertainties and also how strongly the pandemic continues to rage, it was going to be very unlikely to gather 10,000 or 11,000 people,” said Philip Bither, the senior curator at the Walker Art Center.
Wednesday, the Walker Art Center announced it would be cancelling the “Rock the Garden” for the second year in a row due to COVID-19, even with the concert series being so far away in June.
“Well, you know, we’ve gone through eight months now of thinking we’re just around the corner,” said Bither. “We’ve seen this is really hanging on a lot more fiercely than we ever imagined.”
A stone’s throw away, organizers with the Basilica Block Party, another major event, say they are still evaluating their options. As cases rage, however, it seems live music may be one of the last things to come back.
“I don’t want to predict anything, but I think you’ll find that a lot of the larger scale summer festivals will have to make similar decisions in the coming months,” Bither added.