Boulevardia cancels 2021 music, maker festival; awaiting full COVID comeback before summer party’s return
March 16, 2021 | Startland News Staff
One of Kansas City’s premier summertime events — and the first major local festival canceled because of the pandemic in 2020 — won’t be back this June after all, organizers announced Tuesday.
“When the decision was made last year to cancel Boulevardia, we said, ‘The comeback is always stronger than the setback.’ This statement has been at the heart of our conversations as we planned for the 2021 event,” Boulevardia organizers said in a message to supporters.
The event is now expected to return June 17-18, 2022.
Click here to learn more about the multi-faceted Boulevardia festival, which includes concerts, a sprawling market, food, beer and more.
Although COVID-19 vaccination availability is beginning to surge across the country and some municipalities are relaxing restrictions on gatherings, the timing still isn’t quite right for a jump back to “normal” for Boulevardia — at least not at the level of quality organizers and summer revelers expect from the event, the statement read.
“Great strides have been made to overcome COVID-19 as a community. But we’ve decided that moving forward with a festival this June would not allow us to put on the BEST Boulevardia the way we all know and love,” organizers said.
Kansas City’s most recent COVID-19 restrictions were updated March 12 and run through at least May 1.
Click here to read the KCMO’s 13 amended emergency order.
Scant details about plans for 2021 Boulevardia had been released to the public ahead of Tuesday’s announcement.
In 2020, the festival had been planned along Grand Boulevard at Crown Center, where it had been expected to move this summer after six years in the Kansas City Stockyards District in the West Bottoms. The two-day “urban street festival” was set to feature music, makers, food and brews.
“When Boulevardia comes back, we want it to be the best celebration possible for our citizens, artists, partners, staff, and the entire Kansas City community,” organizers said in announcing the 2021 cancelation. “With that in mind, we’re focusing our efforts on ensuring our 2022 pop-up party nation is the best one yet. Boulevardia will be back when ALL of you can join us.”
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?
In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…
FCC head: Repealing net neutrality will boost innovation, investment; startups disagree
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to eliminate regulatory rules that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with consumers’ access to web content. FCC chairman Ajit Pai announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the regulatory body will vote Dec. 14 to repeal 2015 Obama-era regulations. That regulatory model, referred to as Title II,…
Bitten by Disney sharks, Roy Scott beats the odds with Healthy Hip Hop
When a potentially life-altering business deal suddenly vanished, Roy Scott didn’t get mad — he got funded. “Disney thought they were going to snuff us out, but all they did was put gasoline on this fire,” said Scott, founder of Kansas City-based H3 Enterprises (Healthy Hip Hop). Rewind. Starting his company with a live performance-based…
Governor-in-waiting talks startup funding, Amazon and why entrepreneurism is bigger than KC
The strongest person in the room isn’t necessarily the loudest, Jeff Colyer said. “Kansans are used to being overlooked,” he said. “My role as lieutenant governor was to be a little quieter. You give your best advice. And when decisions are made, you’re going to work to support them.” Soon, however, he’ll be the state’s…