Hyde Park Summer Fest Canceled Due To Increasing COVID-19 Cases
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hyde Park Summer Fest, scheduled for next month, has been canceled due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across Chicago.
Formerly known as Hyde Park Brew Fest, the event, scheduled for Sept. 11-12, was rebranded as Hyde Park Summer Fest this year, and moved from 53rd Street and Harper Court to the Midway Plaisance at 59th Street and Dorchester Avenue in order to allow for more space and provide more comfort for guests amid reopening during the pandemic.
However, on Wednesday, organizers announced the festival will be canceled this year, because coronavirus cases are climbing again.
"With increasing COVID-19 cases and associated risks, we do not believe it is the right choice to move forward with the festival at this time. This was an incredibly difficult decision, but we believe putting the community's health and safety first is the most responsible decision," organizers stated on the event's website. "Let us all protect our loved ones and prepare for a successful Hyde Park Summer Fest in 2022."
The announcement comes as Chicago's average daily COVID-19 case count has risen to 252 new cases per day, up 41% in the past week, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. The city's average test positivity rate is up to 3.5%, from 2.7% one week ago.