COVID-19 Concerns Cancel 2021 Park Point Art Fair

DULUTH, Minn.– As Northlanders wait to get vaccinated to help in the fight against COVID-19 the thought of a normal summer ahead isn’t that clear, especially when it comes to events with large crowds.

The longstanding Park Point Art Fair in Duluth, which attracts 100-plus artists from the Midwest and more than 10,000 visitors, won’t be celebrating its 50th anniversary this June. Organizers say it was a difficult decision to make but the right one for everybody’s safety, especially the dozens of volunteers who are considered to be high risk to the virus.

“It’s really difficult for us. The park point art fair tradition is a community gathering of neighbors and neighborhoods and artists who come from the Duluth-Superior region and northern Minnesota but beyond that,” said Jake Kapsner of the Park Point Art Fair Committee.

Planning for the 50th Park Point Art Fair is underway and set for June 25 and 26 of 2022.

Below is the complete statement about the decision to cancel the event for this year:

During a typical February, the Park Point Art Fair committee would be busy enlisting jurors and preparing to jury artists. But this is not a typical February. This February, we’re setting our sites into the more distant future, as we look ahead to the 50th Park Point Art Fair…in 2022. This probably will not come as a surprise to anyone, but in case you’re wondering, here are some of the factors that contributed to our difficult decision:

The City of Duluth is currently issuing permits for walks and runs only. All other events on city property must adhere to strict guidelines that include, among other restrictions, securing the perimeter and dramatically limiting the number of participants.
In a larger sense, our community remains concerned for the health and safety of our artists, our many volunteers and the general public, and we are choosing to err on the side of caution and patience. In addition, the 75-100 PPAF volunteers we count on each year represent a demographic that has been significantly and negatively impacted by the pandemic, an additional reality that needed to be factored in.

We join you in recognizing that this has been a year of considerable hardship for the greater arts community and that the cancellation of so many shows has caused major setbacks for individual artists trying to make a living on the circuit. We thank you for understanding that this was not an easy decision to make. Please know that the Park Point Art Fair committee members are patiently and excitedly looking forward to our 50th Park Point Art Fair, June 25 & 26, 2022.  Our best wishes for Health and Peace to you all until then.