MUSKEGON, MI – Festival organizers have announced the cancellation of the 2020 Michigan Irish Music Festival due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
The annual Irish celebration, which brings bagpipes, ballads and beards to the shore of Muskegon Lake every fall, was slated to take place Sept. 17-20 at Muskegon’s Heritage Landing.
The festival’s board of directors announced the decision to cancel this year’s event in a Facebook post Wednesday, May 13.
“First and foremost, the safety of our volunteers, patrons, musicians, and vendors was the most important factor in this decision,” the announcement reads. “It is important that we make this decision now due to the hundreds of details and months of planning required to produce the Michigan Irish Music Festival.”
Dozens of Facebook users commented on the post Wednesday expressing sadness over the cancellation of the beloved Irish festival, but most wrote that they understood the reason behind the cancellation and appreciated the board’s dedication to safety.
“Thank you to the MIMF Board for putting the health and safety of the public, your performers, and your amazing volunteers first,” one commenter wrote. “I’ve attended every year since the festival began, and the community you’ve created is precious. It’s worth taking a year off to protect that.”
Those who have already purchased tickets for this year’s festival will receive an email in the next 14 days with details on how to refund tickets, festival organizers announced. Ticket holders will also have an option to donate the proceeds of their tickets to the festival, or use the tickets to get into next year’s event.
Last year, the Irish Music Festival celebrated its 20th year with a record 26 bands and drew crowds of nearly 40,000 attendees.
RELATED: From bangers to bagpipes, Michigan Irish Fest celebrates the Emerald Isle
The Irish fest, which features Highland Games, an Irish market, Celtic food and storytelling, signals the end of the summer festival season for many.
The cancellation adds the Michigan Irish Music Festival to the growing list of Muskegon-area summer events that have already been canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Other already-canceled events include the Lakeshore Art Festival, the Electric Forest music festival, the Miss Michigan competition and the Unity Christian Music Festival, all slated to take place in the Muskegon area this summer.
Muskegon County has reported 401 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 20 deaths with the virus as of Tuesday, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Meanwhile, fans of the Faster Horses music festival are still waiting on answers about whether the country music fest will proceed as planned.
The festival’s organizers have said a decision to carry on with the festival could be made as late as two weeks before the event, which is scheduled for July 17-19 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while inside enclosed, public spaces.
Read all of MLive’s coverage on the coronavirus at mlive.com/coronavirus.
Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
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