TEMPE, Ariz. — The city of Tempe has made the decision to postpone permits for large-scale events, which means the 52nd Annual Tempe Festival of the Arts will be canceled.
The decision was made after a rise in COVID-19 cases were reported throughout the state. The Downtown Tempe Authority said in a statement that it was the right choice to cancel based on public safety.
Katie Borders, the executive director of the Downtown Tempe Authority said, "As a strong partner of the City of Tempe, we know these cancellations were not easy calls to make. We were well into the planning stages of the Tempe Festival of the Arts and we know this will have impacts on our artists, vendors and the community. But we firmly believe this was the right decision and public health should always be paramount to anything else.”
The Authority is hopeful to reschedule the event for the spring.
The 6th Street Market and Virtual Downtown Tempe Holiday Special is still expected to happen on Nov. 29. Their website has made a vendors list available for anyone shopping online.
For more information on Tempe events, visit the city's website.
