The 3-day music festival has been rescheduled to Memorial Day weekend next year.
Disappointing news for music fans: DelFest, the bluegrass music festival hosted in Cumberland, Maryland, has been canceled, once again, due to the spread of COVID-19.
Promoters announced their decision last Thursday in a letter on their website, along with a new festival date. It will now take place next Memorial Day weekend from May 26-29, 2022, marking the second time the festival's been postponed as a result of the pandemic.
"With a heavy heart, we must accept the fact that COVID has won another round," the letter states. "We cannot bring our families, or yours, into an event that doesn't meet our safety and quality standards."
Organizers detailed the "inevitable" reasons for canceling, among them the surging Delta variant. The festival's home of Alleghany County currently ranks second in cases statewide, and many residents remain unvaccinated. Issues surrounding festival personnel also factored in, with labor shortages resulting from shuttle drivers and local workers refusing to comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines or falling ill from the virus. The situation "proved too much to overcome" to hold the event as planned, even with efforts to keep the public safe. Festival health guidelines required all adults to be vaccinated and minors tested for COVID-19 in order to attend.
An important update regarding DelFest 2021. pic.twitter.com/mKiSJBdhFp
— DelFest (@DelFest) September 9, 2021
"While we have to say a big thank you as a family to the hospital leaders, the health department, local business leaders, the county commissioners, and the Mayor for what could not have been more cooperative spirits, the combination of the growing numbers, the growing concern of our patrons and staff, and our inability to bring a sufficient staff together to ensure that all safety protocols are adhered to and the quality of a festival you deserve means we need to move to 2022."
DelFest was founded by bluegrass legend Del McCoury and is held annually at the Alleghany County Fairgrounds. Around 35,000 people attend each year for a three-day lineup of diverse artists. This year's show was to take place September 23–26 with The Travelin' McCourys, Railroad Earth, and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Attendees can seek a refund or redeem their tickets for next year's festival. Those wanting their money back have until Monday, September 20, to do so. You can go to their website for more information.
What do you think about DelFest's decision? Were you planning on going this year? Let us know in the comments.
