Press release:
In light of the recent decision by the City of Tempe and recent national and local event cancellations, we are supporting the City of Tempe’s direction in canceling all public special events through April by canceling the spring Tempe Festival of the Arts.
While we are deeply saddened by this, at the end of the day, it comes down to the safety of the community and we want to ensure our actions reflect the concerns and well-being of the public. It was our full intention to move forward with the festival, but much can change in a short period of time, and we fully support our city’s difficult decision.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are cancelling this spring’s Tempe Festival of the Arts,” Kate Borders, executive director and president of the Downtown Tempe Foundation, says. “While there is a great deal of preparation and energy that has gone into this event, our greatest concern is the impact this will have on the livelihood of our working artist and the hit to our local businesses.”
To help support participating festival artists and downtown Tempe small businesses, please connect with them online, consider utilizing delivery services or purchase gift cards to spend later.
While we understand this is disappointing news for the community, we intend to move forward with the fall Tempe Festival of the Arts, happening Dec. 4-6, in downtown Tempe. We are working with festival artists, vendors and staff to ensure a smooth and successful fall festival.
