Nupurum Folk Dance showcased dances from the different states of India in brightly colored saris during the World Beat Festival in June, 2019. (Saphara Harrell/ Salem Reporter)
For the second year, World Beat Festival won’t be returning to Riverfront Park with dragon boats, Indian folk dancing, and cuisine from around the globe.
Kathleen Fish, executive director of the Salem Multicultural Institute which puts on the festival, said her team decided at the start of this year it wouldn’t be able to hold one of Salem’s largest events which draws around 30,000 people each year during the last weekend in June.
“We decided back in January it was becoming clear that the pandemic was not going recede as quickly as we had hoped,” she said.
Fish said the event wouldn’t have the volunteers to do social distance monitoring and the event wouldn’t pencil out financially at half capacity. She also doesn’t want to become a “super spreader” event for Covid.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “I feel really bad for our vendors and exhibitors and performers.”
Fish said she considered doing a virtual event, but that the virtual event market is saturated and by the end of June people will prefer to do things outdoors.
“We’re still trying to think of ways we can get some programming out there,” she said.
-Saphara Harrell
