August Gallery Night Event Cancelled Due to Contagious COVID-19 Delta Variant ConcernsÂ
Planning Virtual Event with Pensacola Artists Live
PENSACOLA, FL – August 10, 2021 – Due to the recent spike of COVID-19 and Delta Variant cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Gallery Night Pensacola unfortunately will not be holding its August 20, 2021 event in person in Downtown Pensacola. Gallery Night Pensacola is planning a virtual event with Pensacola Artists Live, presented by Publix.
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“We do not make this decision lightly,†said Gallery Night Pensacola Executive Director Sydney Robinson.“But during conversations with the board and local leadership, we ultimately decided that hosting an event of our size is just not possible in August based on the volume of COVID cases in our community. Our thoughts are with the healthcare industry as they struggle to find placement for the sick.â€
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Publix Presents Virtual Gallery Night on August 20. The event will feature live musical performances and a live art auction highlighting local artists and performers. The live event will be produced by Pensacola Artists Live and will be streamed live on Facebook with the opportunity for viewers to bid live on local art as well as enjoy live music from local talent. More details to come, check Gallery Night Pensacola’s social media pages for updates.
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While the event will be fully virtual, Gallery Night plans to host a vaccination drive on the day of the event with participating Gallery Night downtown businesses Casks and Flights, The 5 Barrel, Tin Cow, and others offering discounts and coupons to incentivize vaccinations.
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“Unfortunately, Escambia County’s vaccination rate is well under the national average and even the state average,†explained Gallery Night Pensacola Board President Bobby Switzer. “Our number one priority is public health, which means doing whatever is necessary to drive access to vaccines. A higher vaccination rate leads to lower case numbers, fewer people in the hospital, and fewer deaths.â€
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“We know that Gallery Night is one of Pensacola’s treasured community events, and we thank community and local businesses for their continued patience and understanding during the pandemic.â€
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Gallery Night Pensacola is also closely monitoring updates provided by trusted resources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Escambia County Department of Health.
For more information visit gallerynightpensacola.org.