BREAKING NEWS: Sunfest Canceled, Town Moving Forward with Planning for SunLITE
The Ocean City Council voted to officially cancel Sunfest on Monday night, after weeks of discussion about the future of the event. Vendors that already made deposits will be refunded, and their spots will be saved for 2021. The town planned to host the 46th Annual Sunfest from October 1-4 in the hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic would no longer be a threat. However, as the event draws closer and the virus continues to spread, officials simply do not believe that holding a major festival is possible.
The 2020 Sunfest has been a hot topic of conversation for the council since the beginning of August. Earlier this month, Special Events Director Frank Miller revealed that statewide Covid-19 restrictions apply to Sunfest, preventing large music events or food tents from being a part of the coveted festival.
Miller said that the loss of ticket sales from musical entertainment alone amounts to $142,000. While he said that the event could still generate revenue, he was skeptical of the willingness of businesses and vendors to participate. A survey of 157 vendors revealed that 38% were questioning whether they would participate, and 54% said that they were comfortable attending. However, 13% of the people willing to attend were motivated by concerns of losing their spot at a future festival rather than actually coming to the 2020 event.
Several weeks ago, Miller and members of the council warned against the backlash the town would face in the media if they were to sponsor the event. They also discussed the negative impact on the event’s reputation as one of the top festivals in the nation.
The responses from vendors, the potential for bad optics, and limitations due to Covid-19 led the council to unanimously vote in favor of the cancellation of Sunfest.
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The 2020 Sunfest has been a hot topic of conversation for the council since the beginning of August. Earlier this month, Special Events Director Frank Miller revealed that statewide Covid-19 restrictions apply to Sunfest, preventing large music events or food tents from being a part of the coveted festival.
Miller said that the loss of ticket sales from musical entertainment alone amounts to $142,000. While he said that the event could still generate revenue, he was skeptical of the willingness of businesses and vendors to participate. A survey of 157 vendors revealed that 38% were questioning whether they would participate, and 54% said that they were comfortable attending. However, 13% of the people willing to attend were motivated by concerns of losing their spot at a future festival rather than actually coming to the 2020 event.
Several weeks ago, Miller and members of the council warned against the backlash the town would face in the media if they were to sponsor the event. They also discussed the negative impact on the event’s reputation as one of the top festivals in the nation.
The responses from vendors, the potential for bad optics, and limitations due to Covid-19 led the council to unanimously vote in favor of the cancellation of Sunfest.
More
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