By Beacon Staff
As goes the cancellation of concerts and music festivals in the wake of coronavirus, so goes Burlington Steamboat Days.
The riverfront music festival in Burlington was set to return in early June, with country music star Gretchen Wilson as one of the headliners.
On Friday morning, the Steamboat Days board announced that the event wouldn’t be happening.
“After much discussion about the economic effects this pandemic has and could continue to bring to our area, the BRE (Burlington Riverfront Entertainment) Board and Burlington Steamboat Days organization feel it would be irresponsible as community organizations to continue with the event, especially with the unforeseen future and concern for the health of event attendees,” reads a statement on the event’s Facebook page.
It’s only the second time Steamboat Days has been canceled in its 50-year-plus history — the first time due to the Flood of 2008. The event went on hiatus last year after a financially difficult 2018 iteration plagued by low attendance. A record-breaking heatwave that week was partially to blame.
Steamboat Days is far from done, though, according to event organizers. Planning for the 2021 iteration of the multi-day music festival is underway. Burlington Civic Music also was forced to cancel the remainder of its concerts but also plans on returning for next season.
Anyone who has purchased tickets for this year’s Burlington Steamboat Days event online through Ticketmaster will be notified by email and will receive a refund. Anyone who purchased tickets at the Burlington Memorial Auditorium box office can receive their refund once the city allows the building to be open to the public. Once that happens, the box office will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.