FEATURE
SUMMER EVENTS?
NOPE.
WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM / JUNE 18, 2020 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE
10
But are we planting the seeds for a festival-filled fall? We checked in with event organizers to find out.
Sisters Folk Fest Moves Toward a Small August Event By Nicole Vulcan
L
ike so many things in the age of COVID-19, the plans the Sisters Folk Festival team is making are only tentative and preliminary; not set in stone until they are. Last month, SFF announced the cancellation of its main event: the mid-September folk fest that takes over the town of Sisters. Still, SFF is making plans to offer some smaller musical events before that date, and during the regular festival weekend. “At this point, we are cautiously optimistic that we can plan a day of music on the lawn of our building on August 1,” Christa Munro, executive director of SFF, told the Source. On that date, SFF has tentative plans to hold an event where people can buy a ticket for a “circle,” that includes about six to eight people. (According to guidance from the Oregon Health Authority for event and venue operators, parties of 10 or more people congregating together are not allowed.) People inside that circle
wouldn’t get to mingle with people inside other circles, and there would be a cap of no more than 250 people for the day of music, in keeping with current event guidelines. “When we sell that circle, we will have to grab the names of those people
to comply with contact tracing,” Munro explained. “We were originally thinking we could do maybe four or five concerts for the summer—but once we saw all the requirements, we just decided to see how August 1 goes first.” Nicole Vulcan
Provided all goes well and their plan is approved by local health authorities and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, Munro said they hope to tap a few venues in Sisters during the regular festival weekend Sept. 12 and 13. But unlike other years, people would only be able to see music at that venue instead of moving around the town. With this year’s offerings expected to be so limited, Munro said her team made the decision to let people who had bought tickets for this year’s festival use them next year instead, rather than using them for a far more limited lineup. Ticket holders can also donate this year’s tickets to SFF. “It was the fairest thing we could do for our ticket holders and gave us the opportunity to do something completely brand new,” Munro said. Sisters Folk Festival
The Hamiltones perform at the 2019 Sisters Folk Festival.
SFF organizers plan to stage an Aug. 1 concert and see how it goes.
All is Fair in... Well, Nevermind
The Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo hangs up its 10-gallon cowboy hat for the summer By Cayla Clark
T
he much-anticipated Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo, slated to take place at the end of July, has been postponed until July 28, 2021. The largest and longest-running event in all of Central Oregon, boasting 100 consecutive years as of 2019, has been officially knocked out by COVID-19—however temporarily. The Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center website reads, “Come experience jam-packed fun at the largest county fair in the state of Oregon, attracting over 290,000 folks each year.” An attractive offer, but one that could be considered the social distancer’s nightmare. Jam-packed? No thanks. 290,000? Maybe in Phase Three. So long, funnel cake. We love you and we’ll see you next year. “The majority of the events through August have been canceled or rescheduled,” confirmed Geoff Hinds, Fair and Expo Center director. “Postponements
and cancellations are continuing to evolve as restrictions continue to develop. The Fair & Rodeo, the biggest of all our events, will be completely canceled this year. Right now, we’re still working to see what will happen. Some of our partners are interested in postponing, while others have canceled completely. Now, having entered Phase Two which has expanded the restriction to gatherings of 250 people or fewer, more doors are being opened for certain events to occur. Still, we don’t have any large events that are planned for the near future—none through September.” “So far, our lost revenue to date is estimated at a bit over $600,000. As of now, the total estimated loss of gross revenue will most likely exceed $2.5 million. This could increase, depending on how long event restrictions remain in place. A significant portion of that is due to the cancellation of the annual Fair & Rodeo.”
Some of the canceled events include the Oregon Equestrian Team State Championship, the Father’s Day Demolition Derby, the Cascadian Spring Series Horse Show, the Fourth of July Celebration, the Mayhem Fitness Festival, the
Roses & Rust Vintage Market and the 2020 Oregon High Desert Swap Meet & Car Show. “We’re working hard to make the livestock show and auction a success,” concluded Hinds. “We’ll see what happens.” Pixabay
Farewell, fair fare. We’ll see and devour you next year.
