In addition to cancelling sports, movie premieres, and the Olympics, the COVID-19 outbreak has caused a number of notable events in Michigan to cancel.
Here is a list of major festivals and events that have been forced to cancel or postpone due to the outbreak.
Capital City Film Festival, Lansing — April 9 - 18
Postponed.
While we are sad you won’t get to experience the outstanding full lineup we had nearly ready to announce, the safety of our extended community is at the forefront of our values. Don’t despair too hard, though: Our team is already working on CCFF 9.5 — a summertime retooling of our 2020 festival content.
National Trout Festival, Kalkaska — April 22 - 26
Canceled.
All options were weighed. It was a difficult decision to make, but the escalation of coronavirus cases dictates this action. "As much as we would like to carry on with Kalkaska's premier event, the health and safety of our community is our priority," said Diana Needham, Board President. "The 2021 festival will incorporate celebrations of Kalkaska County's 150th birthday so we will be back, bigger and better!"
Tulip Time, Holland — May 2 - 10
Canceled, but the festival is holding a Virtual Run on Saturday, May 2.
Like many other festivals and community celebrations scheduled for this time of year, Tulip Time is making do with an unforeseen challenge. “This was not a decision taken lightly. We understand the huge financial impact the festival brings not only to our organization, but to small businesses, hotels and local attractions every year,” said Gwen Auwerda, Executive Director of the Tulip Time Festival. Cancellation will not only impact Tulip Time, but Holland’s entire tourism industry, as the festival brings in 500,000 attendees and a 48 million dollar economic impact on the Holland community.
Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Kalamazoo — May 7 - 9
The annual high school arts festival has been canceled, as has the State Solo & Ensemble Festival, State Choral Festival, and A Cappella Festival.
Movement Electronic Music Festival, Detroit — May 22 - 24
Originally scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, Movement has rescheduled to Sept. 11-13. All current tickets are valid for the September dates. If ticket holders can’t attend in September, their tickets will carry over into 2021 or can be refunded.
Postponing was certainly not an easy decision but it is the responsible decision. We are receiving commitments from production teams and performing artists for the new dates and have been working around the clock to share some positive news we can all look forward to.
Festival of the Arts, Grand Rapids — June 5 - 7
Because of current social distancing guidelines, planning events like the volunteer fair and regional arts intake can’t happen, so the festival has been canceled.
Thank you to all the committees and participants who are so dedicated to Festival. Also, thanks to every sponsor/donor that contributed towards the sustainability of Festival of the Arts. We appreciate all the artists, performers, volunteers, organizations, city leadership and community partners that make Festival such a success.
North American International Auto Show, Detroit — June 6 - 20
This was meant to be the first year the auto show would be held in the summer; instead, the annual industry event has been canceled. The TCF Center, where the event is held, is currently being used as a COVID-19 field hospital.
“Although we are disappointed, there is nothing more important to us than the health, safety and well-being of the citizens of Detroit and Michigan, and we will do what we can to support our community’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak,” said NAIAS Executive Director Rod Alberts.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival — June 12 - July 20
Cancelled. Initially, all indoor, ticketed events were canceled, and the festival’s free outdoor concert series, Top of the Park, was still scheduled to move forward. That changed on May 1, when the festival announced all major events would be canceled.
For 36 years, we have come together each summer with our neighbors for a celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment, and community spirit. We plan to do that again this year, but sadly it won’t be at Top of the Park. In the coming weeks, we will share elements of an adapted season with you that will bring us all together in new and creative ways. We have envisioned plans for various environments, and look forward to presenting as many of them as possible – such as drive-in concerts and movies.
Electric Forest, Rothbury — June 25 - 28
Organizers are looking to reschedule the event.
At this time, the Rothbury Village Council is not able to approve alternate dates for this year. We are exploring all our options, and will provide you with updates as soon as we can. We appreciate your patience and support while we work through this news.
National Cherry Festival, Traverse City — July 4 - 11
Canceled, although organizers are looking to reschedule the Meijer Festival of Races.
The safety and health of our entire community, guests, volunteers, and staff is our first priority and always top of mind when making our decisions. We did not make this decision lightly. At each and every step we took into account not only the time and effort that goes into planning this festival, but also the impact on the economy of our area. However, with the uncertainty of the times, we are unable to be fully confident in the fact that it will be safe to gather and celebrate the first week of July 2020.
Hiawatha Music Festival, Marquette — July 17 - 19
Canceled.
Please believe us when we say it was a well-measured and heart-wrenching decision process. We are grieving, just as we imagine you may be too. Our first priority had to be the safety of our members, attendees, volunteers, vendors, and musicians. That said, we felt it our duty under the circumstances to ensure that all remained safe by not hosting our large gathering this summer. We know that when it’s deemed safe, we will gather again as a community. It will be a time of music and celebration and a deeper appreciation for simply being together. Though we don’t know yet how or when that will come to be, know that we are holding you all in our hearts and will keep you informed along the way.
Ann Arbor Art Fair — July 19 - 22
Canceled.
This was an extremely difficult decision, as we know how deeply this impacts the participating artists, local businesses and the broader Ann Arbor community. We are deeply saddened, but we have consulted with City officials and determined that we are just not able to produce the Art Fair in a manner that will adhere to the mandated social distancing requirements that lie ahead.
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival
One year after celebrating its 50th anniversary, the 2020 Blues and Jazz Festival is canceled.
We would like to thank all those who have contributed to the Festival's success over the past few years. Without the unwavering commitments of our sponsors, volunteers, vendors, crew, musicians, and, of course, our fans, it would have been impossible to have revived such an important and historic event. We hope to be back in 2021, bigger and better than ever.
