Rise of Delta Variant Cancels Festival of the Arts Sept. Event

West Michigan's new rise of the delta variant has led to the canceling of the Festival of the Arts event that was scheduled to take place during ArtPrize.

We have seen the damage the delta variant has done around the country and now it is getting a grip on Michigan, specifically West Michigan.

With the rise in new cases, higher rates of positive tests and now death rates are climbing, I suspect a slew of events with either be postponed or canceled moving forward until we get this under control.

According to WOOD, organizers of the Festival of the Arts has put the kibosh on the event that was set to take place at Calder Plaza next month.

Festival of the Arts was set to be a scaled down event but still provide performance to the Calder Plaza with musicians and artist alike.

WOOD reported that Executive Director David Abbott says it was in the best interest of the public and the hundreds of volunteers who help put the festival on to cancel. Abbott said, "everyone is excited to bring Festival of the Arts back in June 2022 in the traditional sense of the celebration that Grand Rapids has come to love and enjoy for more than 50 years."

After the first week of August, Michigan began averaging 106 new daily cases of COVID-19 per million residents with 8 daily deaths. Positive COVID-19 tests have averaging around 8% which is 6 times higher during the low point in late June.

To learn more about next year's Festival of the Arts for June of 2022 click here.

So far ArtPrize is still a go for September 16 through October 3.