The Hangout Festival latest victim to COVID-19 as city officials cancel the event

By Melanie LeCroy
Posted 4/8/20

Everyday more businesses close and events are canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the county. The latest victim, the 2020 Hangout Music Festival.

During a Special Council …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Get the gift of local news. All subscriptions 50% off for a limited time!

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

The Hangout Festival latest victim to COVID-19 as city officials cancel the event

Posted

Everyday more businesses close and events are canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the county. The latest victim, the 2020 Hangout Music Festival.

During a Special Council Meeting March 31, Mayor Robert Craft and the city council unanimously passed a resolution to cancel the 2020 Hangout Music Festival scheduled for May 15-17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Up until the city’s announcement festival organizers were pushing forward with the event. A press release on the festival Facebook page March 24, stated, “Hangout Fest 2020 (May 15-17) currently falls just after the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended timeline for a stoppage of public gatherings in order to help slow the COVID-19 crisis.”

City officials say they have been considering the cancellation due to COVID-19 for some time and that the decision was based solely on what was in the best interest of public health, safety and welfare.

“Our decision to cancel the event wasn’t taken lightly, but we are confident we have made the right decision for the health and safety of our community,” said Craft. “We have been monitoring the situation for a number of weeks to better understand the spread of COVID-19 and the public health conditions we could expect in mid-May so that we could make the most informed decision to protect everyone involved.”

Event organizers are exploring all options for a rescheduled festival and plan to announce more information in the coming weeks regarding the transfer and refund process to ticketholders.