French Quarter Festival latest cancellation from 4th surge
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The French Quarter Festival, in which thousands of festivalgoers crowd the streets of the historic New Orleans neighborhood to listen to brass bands, zydeco and other music, has become the latest victim of Louisiana's fourth coronavirus surge.
Festival organizers Friday announced they were canceling the festival, which had been slated for Sept. 30-Oct. 2. The major tourist draw is the latest to be canceled as Louisiana continues as a hot spot for the fourth surge of the coronavirus — a status fueled by the state's low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant. Other events such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have already canceled events slated for this summer and fall.
“After careful consideration and with consultation from a host of experts including City and State officials, we concluded this was the best decision for the safety and security of our community,” said Emily Madero, CEO of French Quarter Festivals Inc., in a news release announcing the decision.
The event will return to the French Quarter April 21-24 of next year, organizers said Friday.
The Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, which takes place in Lafayette, is also being canceled for this fall, organizers announced. That festival had been slated for Oct. 8-10 and instead will take place March 18-20 of next year.
“This decision was not made lightly,” organizers said on their website. “Festival organizers have decided that we cannot with a clear conscience put our Festival Fans and our beloved musicians, restaurant workers, crafts persons, volunteers and staffers at risk."
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