Boulevardia cancels 2021 music, maker festival; awaiting full COVID comeback before summer party’s return

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.”