Art In The Park Cancelled For 2021

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 1107 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

Attendees stroll through Art in the Park in this file photo from June 1st, 2019, the last time the festival was held. (Anna Millerman / windsoriteDOTca News)

One of Windsor’s most popular summer festivals, Art in the Park, has been cancelled for a second year in a row.

In a Facebook post, the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918), the organization behind the event, announced the cancellation for 2021.

“As the Art in the Park Committee has been optimistically and cautiously planning for Art in the Park 2021, this notice comes with deep regret,” the post reads. “With the most recent State of Emergency announced by the Province of Ontario and the increasing cases of COVID-19 locally and across the Province; the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) has made the difficult and disheartening decision to cancel Art in the Park 2021.”

The event — often dubbed Windsor’s unofficial start to summer — had been scheduled for Saturday June 5th and Sunday June 6th, 2021, and organizers announced in January that the event would have modifications including mandatory masks and cashless transactions.

“The Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) recognizes that the past 14 months have been unexpectedly challenging for many of us. We were hopeful that Art in the Park would be a symbol of hope, something for many of us to look forward to,” the post said. “The Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) and the Windsor-Essex community remain hopeful for the future.”

The event, which is volunteer and charity-run, has raised over $1.3 million over the past 42 years for the restoration of Willistead Manor, and around $2.1 million more to support local and international efforts of the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918).

“We are so thankful to be part of the strong community of Windsor-Essex and for the efforts of the City of Windsor to try and help make this event a success, despite COVID-19,” said Rotary (1918) Executive Director, Jodi Ouellette. “We look forward to meeting again with the sun shining on our Annual Art in the Park event.”