The Downtown Kelowna Association has announced its annual block party has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
The popular downtown event has become one of the largest community celebrations in Kelowna for the past 30 years. It has seen growth and reinvention over the decades and this year presented a whole new challenge that the association could not have anticipated.
READ MORE: Kelowna’s historic grist mill goes up in flames overnight
The downtown association has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and following the guidance of the federal and provincial governments. BC Provincial Health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has advised that large gatherings such as festivals and concerts that attract more than 50 people will not be proceeding this year. Given this and the continuing concerns around COVID-19, the decision has been made to cancel the Downtown Kelowna Block Party scheduled for July 11, 2020.
“This was a tough call to make but we are committed to the health and safety of our members, attendees, vendors, volunteers, suppliers, and staff,” said Mark Burley, executive director, Downtown Kelowna Association.
“We are very disappointed not being able to hold the 2020 Downtown Kelowna Block Party but know it is the right decision based on information to date. Our event team will be reaching out directly to vendors and suppliers with information and providing refunds where applicable.”
READ MORE: Feds unveil new COVID-19 emergency benefit for students, $9B in funding
For now, the Downtown Kelowna Association plans on bringing the community together through locally hosted online events, videos and live streams. If you are you planning or hosting a virtual Downtown event, simply add your event to the downtown associations online calendar and tag them on Facebook or Instagram @downtownkelowna.