Elorza Cancels PVDFest

Elorza Cancels PVDFest

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza announced that "due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations," September's PVDFest has been cancelled. 

As of Friday, August 20th, the Rhode Island Department of Health COVID-19 Data Tracker and CDC COVID-19 Indicator of Community Transmission indicate Rhode Island is in high transmission. Smaller PVDFest summer and fall Happenings, as well as PVDFest Ideas programming, continue in outdoor, safety-monitored, city-wide settings in the coming weeks.

"I am sorry to announce that after carefully considering the increased spread of the delta variant, we will forego this year’s downtown PVDFest gathering,” said Elorza. “I want to take this opportunity to thank our artists, sponsors and partners who have made PVDFest Happenings a resounding success so far, and encourage all unvaccinated residents to get their vaccine. Together we can beat this virus and return to dancing and celebrating together downtown next year.”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Since its inception in 2015, PVDFest has featured over 5,000 artists, performers and curators, and has regularly drawn more than 100,000 attendees annually into the heart of Downtown during festival weekend. The festival is produced by the City’s Department of Art, Culture and Tourism in partnership with Founding Partner FirstWorks, a Providence-based non-profit.

“FirstWorks has long been dedicated to providing new transformational artistic experiences for our community,” said Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks. “Over the past year we had to re-envision our programming in order to continue to support artists and the creative economy throughout the pandemic. We are saddened by the need to cancel PVDFest’s September culmination but stand committed to continuing to safely and effectively widen the circle with artists and neighbors to support the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of our community. We are committed to the Festival’s future as a showcase of the arts and catalyst for firsts in the arts by extraordinary artists of the Creative Capital.”