VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The 2021 Pungo Strawberry Festival has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Festival Chairman Todd Jones announced the cancellation Tuesday after a recent board meeting was held to discuss plans for the 2021 festival.
The 2020 festival, which was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, was also canceled due to concerns of the pandemic.
The chairman says this decision was the right decision to make in terms of health and safety reasons.
He says the cancellations have caused a substantial cost to the company due to the fact they normally purchase everything upfront.
The festival vowed back in March when the festival was canceled that they would be back in 2021, but unfortunately festival officials say the pandemic continues to be a concern.
"It is challenging enough just to hold Board meetings and planning sessions while complying with Executive Orders. We cannot confidently proceed with the 2021 festival," Jones said. "We do not want to bring large crowds together unless we feel certain it is in a safe and healthy manner, even outdoors. We also cannot incur the huge costs again associated with delivering a 3-day festival only to cancel it at the last minute."
The board hopes to see everyone at the 2022 Pungo Strawberry Festival.
