The City of Chicago continues to call off major spring and summer events.
Five more major events in Chicago were canceled this week. In addition to the Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony, the city has called off Chicago In Tune, which includes the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago House Music Conference & Festival, and Gospel Music Festival; which were scheduled to take place between May 21 and June 7.
“These cancellations are disappointing to all of us here in Chicago, particularly for the countless individuals who worked so hard to organize an extraordinary Year of Chicago Music,” said Lori Lightfoot in the official announcement.
“Nonetheless, these difficult but necessary steps were taken in order to ensure the health and safety of our residents and visitors, which continues to be our utmost priority throughout the COVID-19 crisis.”
The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) outline further cancelations and postponements in a press release, which states that cultural centers, cinemas, parades, and Chicago City Markets will be postponed from opening until May 15.
As the stay-at-home order remains, the city continues to call off major events scheduled for summer and late spring. Previous cancellations include: Do Division Street Fest, West Fest Chicago, Dancing in the Streets Chicago, Taste of Randolph, South Side’s Silver Room Block Party, and the South Shore Summer Festival.
Governor JB Pritzker has warned that all summer events could be canceled without a working vaccine in place.
“As upsetting as it is to remove these events from our calendar, we are already looking forward to next year where we’ll be pulling out all the stops for a festival season Chicago will never forget,” Lightfoot said.
As of this moment, there are still major festivals slated for this summer, including: Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, Pitchfork, and Riot Fest.
[Featured image via Chicago.gov]