COVID-19 Forces Cancellation of 2020 Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival
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PENSACOLA, FLA. – July 28, 2020 – It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of this year’s Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival. The decision to cancel the Festival is a tough one, but with COVID-19 cases on the rise, the health and safety of arts patrons, volunteers, artists, sponsors, vendors, and festival participants must be our top priority. The 48th annual Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival was scheduled for November 6, 7, and 8.Â
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“Over 150,000 people typically attend the Festival over three days. Artists and performers travel to the Festival from all over the country,†said Eileen Perrigo, Festival President. “The committee looked at every possible option to continue safely, but it’s simply not viable to hold the Festival we love safely in the foreseeable situation.â€Â
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Since its beginning in 1973, the GGAF has been canceled only once before — in 2004, when Hurricane Ivan devastated the Pensacola area five weeks before the Festival was to be held. Â
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One of the area’s favorite festivals, The GGAF is a celebration of the arts, with the mission to highlight fine arts and crafts, performing arts, art education, and to create an appreciation for the arts. We hope you will join us when the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival returns on November 5, 6, and 7, 2021, at Seville Square, Fountain Park, Bartram Park, and Museum Plaza in Downtown Pensacola.