Calls to local organizers and a couple dozen website checks show fully planned events are the exception to the norm so far in 2021.
“It’s a bit of a tough thing to report out on at this stage. With the current PHO banning all events (except for drive-ins/drive-thrus), few of our local festivals have been able to commit 100 per cent to hosting something this summer,” said Sechelt’s arts, culture and communications coordinator, Siobhán Smith.
“The District of Sechelt is not currently issuing special event permits, and VCH is not currently able to review event safety plans since everything is banned right now.”
Still, Smith confirmed district-hosted events Canada Day, Sechelt Summer Music Series and Sechelt Arts Festival will be going ahead. “For now, we’re planning for events that would meet the rules that were in place last summer,” she said, which would include organizing events to allow for a maximum gathering size of 50 people.
As for Gibsons, Sea Cavalcade chair Phil Murray told Coast Reporter a commitment hasn’t been made yet for a 2021 event. Sea Cavalcade has been a summertime centrepiece in the town for half a century, but has been on hiatus since 2019.
As of March 2, the Town of Gibsons hasn’t yet decided whether to move ahead with Music in the Landing, though Mayor Bill Beamish asked that money be kept in the budget, regardless, for a Coast-wide community celebration “for when we can all get out, shake hands, hug and be friends again.”
Verna Chan, who will be producing the possible series for the last time this year (she is moving to Victoria), told Coast Reporter she plans to propose outdoor live-streamed and recorded events but “there will definitely not be live shows.”
One live music event planned is a scaled-down version of the Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival on June 26 and 27, with two live bands scheduled to play at Dougall Park. “Health regulations will determine the number of warm bodies we will be allowed in the park,” said organizer Linda Williams, and the event is waiting for official approval from the town.
One exception to the rule is the Festival of the Written Arts, which recently announced it planned to host an afternoon reading series from July 4 to August 8 and events are being planned for festival weekend from Aug. 13 to 15, with a maximum of 50 people.
“While this is our plan today, we have to remain flexible and responsive. The best laid plans are subject to change during a pandemic,” said producer Jane Davidson.
Another major draw for tourists and aficionados is the Coasters Car Club’s Sleepy Hollow Rod Run in August – alternatively known as the festival of the rolling arts – but according to club representative Jac Cawsey, “COVID is tying our hands right now.”
“There is a possibility of a social distancing type of Rod Run but at this time I don’t know of anything planned.”
For October – when vaccines will be largely available, according to the province’s immunization program – at least one event is committing. The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl will be moving ahead on Oct. 22 to 24, according to their website.
As for springtime events, the April Tools Wooden Boat Challenge, hosted annually by the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, cancelled its 2021 event.
“We regret not being able to bring this event to the community again this year. But we still have our plan and prototype so we are definitely ready for next year,” said a social media announcement.
The Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden is also holding off on hosting large events unless the vaccine rollout speeds up and infection numbers decrease dramatically. “At this point, I think it's a bit unlikely but we are holding out hope,” said manager Mary Blockberger. They are, however, planning a local plant sale by appointment on May 1 and 2.
And the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Performing Arts is going virtual this April, with registration open for events from April 12 to 30.
Meanwhile, Sunshine Coast Tourism executive director Paul Kamon said he is expecting this summer to be as busy as last year, when local travellers, especially from Metro Vancouver, flocked to the area.
The organization plans to run a similar marketing campaign to last year, which encouraged local travel.
“We are expecting a busy season. 2020 was remarkably busy,” said Kamon. “Having said that, we also ran into issues with ferries. So getting people here, even though we had huge demand, we had a lot of problems providing access.”
He said with Safe Restart funding in place, ferry service should run more smoothly.
