Port Alberni’s Five Acre Shaker music festival has been cancelled for 2020.
Now in its sixth year, the music festival was going to be expanded in 2020 to become a four-day event. But the news of its cancellation comes after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said on Saturday, April 18 that large summer events will be banned in response to COVID-19.
READ MORE: Summer events, parades, large weddings off the table this summer: Henry
“We fully support this initiative as the health and safety of our family, friends and the community is of the highest priority,” a spokesperson for the event posted on Facebook. “We look forward to 2021 when we can all come together and celebrate our community. For now, we will use this time to get creative and begin putting together the best show ever for Shaker 2021!”
The Facebook post also extended a thank you to committee members, volunteers, sponsors, performers and fans.
Five Acre Shaker organizers will be contacting everyone who has already purchased Shaker 2020 tickets. For more information, see www.fiveacre.ca.
This is not the first big Port Alberni music event that has been cancelled. The Zattzoo Project announced earlier this month that the sixth annual Youth Battle of the Bands event scheduled for May 23 has been cancelled.
“We have held off as long as we can but we just can’t avoid this,” Kimberly Blake posted on Facebook. “For everyone’s safety we must follow the guidelines.”
Organizers are still planning to hold a Battle of the Bands in 2021.