2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair Canceled Again Due to Ongoing Pandemic
The summer was shaping up to be pretty good one in the way of getting back to those summertime festivals and events we love. Unfortunately, one of the most popular is going to sit this summer out.
The 2021 Ann Arbor Art Fair has been canceled for the second year in a row due to concerns over COVID-19 safety at the event. In a statement released Wednesday, the directors of the event stated the three fairs that comprise the Ann Arbor Art Fair which includes the Ann Arbor Original Fair, the State Street Fair, and the Summer Art Fair, would not be happening in 2021.
The annual event, which is the nation’s largest Art Fair, was met with challenges due to its size and massive attendance each year. Directors found executing the event under current mandates and guidelines to be difficult.
“We can truthfully say that we tried everything we could to make it work with COVID protocols, but the bottom line is that outdoor gathering restrictions would need to be totally lifted before we could proceed. We hung on to hope that restrictions might change, but we have now run out of time. We all think it is likely that capacity limits will be lifted by July, but there are no guarantees. It would be unfair to ask artists to take that risk", said Mo Riley, director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original.
The Ann Arbor Art Fair is a favorite summer Midwest tradition and draws close to half a million attendees over four days in July. The Ann Arbor Art Fair features more than 1,000 artists and covers 30 city blocks in downtown Ann Arbor.
Directors encourage everyone to understand the decision and continue to support the many artist that take place in the annual event.
The Ann Arbor Art show will resume July 21-24, 2022.