No ‘Music in the Park’ free concert series this year, Olympia Downtown Alliance says
The Olympia Downtown Alliance has canceled its free “Music in the Park” concert series for this summer, it announced Wednesday, out of concern for public health during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This year would have marked the 41st season for the series, which features free concerts at Sylvester Park and the Port of Olympia’s Port Plaza in July and August. The concerts attract an average of about 700 people, Todd Cutts, executive director of the ODA, told The Olympian Wednesday.
The alliance’s board of directors made its decision after considering the state’s “re-opening orders and timelines” and discussing how to keep the series safe for all involved, according to a news release from the Downtown Alliance.
In Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-phase plan to reopen the state’s economy, gatherings of 50 or more people are allowed in the fourth, final phase. The timeline for moving from phase to phase is uncertain, but, under the plan, the state will stay in every phase for a minimum of three weeks.
“We want to keep our community, musicians, staff, and volunteers safe during this unprecedented time. The public health risk of hosting a free event is too high,” said Josh Gobel, Olympia Downtown Alliance board president, in a prepared statement.
Cutts said that the board is “exploring alternative ways” to bring the series to the community.
An example of the options being explored, Cutts said, is a series of online music videos from local musicians that Olympia Downtown Alliance, City of Olympia, and Octapas Cafe have partnered to produce. One video for the series has been posted so far, on the Olympia Downtown Alliance YouTube channel, and more are slated to launch there soon.
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