Blues Fest 2020 canceled

WALLACE — Music lovers have another reason to sing the blues now that another one of the Silver Valley’s largest summertime events have fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally planned to be held on July 10-12, the 9th annual Wallace Blues Festival has been officially canceled for 2020.

The decision was announced at a Wallace Blues Festival Committee meeting on May 15 with city business owners in attendance.

“We told them officially that we were canceling Blue Fest because of the amount of people we bring into the event, but we wanted to be there to support them anyway we can,” said Marcy Hayman, council president.

Less than a month ago, the Blues Festival was still set to go with appropriate social distancing and CDC guidelines set to be enforced. As the date crept closer and closer though, the community became more and more divided on whether or not the large event should take place — regardless of what protocols were followed.

According to a Shoshone News-Press poll that was open from May 14 to 18, voters showed this divisiveness when asked about how they thought Blues Fest 2020 should be handled.

The most diametrically opposed choices, “Hold Blues Fest as usual with no precautions and restrictions” and “Cancel Blues Fest for 2020,” tied for first place — each receiving 39 votes. The more inbetween choices, “Hold Blues Fest with state approved precautions and restrictions” and “Postpone Blues Fest until later this year and reevaluate at that time,” weren’t as popular and received 29 and 23 votes, respectively.

When it came right down to it, Hayman explained that the call was made in an effort to not add to the stress of the community.

“We didn’t feel like after all the fear that everybody has been through, the last thing we want to do is bring more fear to people,” she said.

While Blues Fest 2020 won’t be carried out in its standard format of blocked off streets and outdoor stages, that doesn’t mean that nothing is going to be done. The Blues Fest Committee is committed to helping Wallace businesses host their own blues musicians in the coming months.

“We are trying to encourage our businesses to bring Blues Festival music into town at least two weekends in July and two weekends in August,” Hayman said.

Hayman explains that this alternative to the normal Blues Fest is being pursued for three main reasons. First, to help the local businesses financially support themselves and be able to manage a more reasonable crowd. Second, provide musicians some help that have been out of work; and third, help the general population with their mental health during these tough times.

The new format is still in its early planning stages, but the first weekend is currently set to take place on the original dates of Blues Fest — July 10-12. Other dates and locations of performances will be released at a later time.

Hayman would like to thank the rest of the Blues Festival Committee for their continued effort.

“They’re a bunch of young kids, but I love them all to death,” she said. “They’re just great thinkers and hard workers and I just appreciate all the effort they’ve put into it.”