FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): One of Fort Wayne’s biggest tourist attractions of the year has been postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Three Rivers Festival Board of Directors Thursday announced that the 52nd annual festival, originally set to start on July 10th through 18th, has been called off for the year.
“While it breaks our hearts that we have come to this conclusion, we know we have made the right choice based on current circumstances. Our mission has always been community-focused, and this year our best move is the one that promotes a safe environment in Fort Wayne,” the statement reads.
The event is the second-largest in the state and routinely draws hundreds of thousands of people to Fort Wayne every summer. Festival officials say after speaking with the County Board of Health and City officials, it would be too difficult to enforce social distancing and other CDC guidelines.
While the festival was originally planned to start just days after Indiana’s Back on Track plan would reach “full” reopening on July 4th, officials say any interruption in that timeline would have not only jeopardized the Three Rivers Festival, but the financial hardship would jeopardize future efforts as well.
