Art Alliance cancels the 2020 Art Walk & Wine Tasting
By Art Alliance of Idyllwild
Contributed
The Art Alliance of Idyllwild (AAI) has successfully staged 22 annual Art Walk & Wine Tasting events. This event is key to raising funds for the AAI as well as bringing over a thousand visitors to town, thus benefitting local inns, restaurants and shops.
Like many other local events, this event has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Riverside County experiences a surge in coronavirus cases, the AAI board recently voted to cancel the 23rd Art Walk & Wine Tasting. It was to take place on October 10, 2020.
AAI President Donna Elliot explained that this decision was taken in an abundance of caution: “We are concerned for the health and well-being of our wineries, artists, volunteers, visitors and our community.” Many counties in California have faltered in their efforts to flatten the curve, including Riverside County. An event such as the Art Walk & Wine Tasting falls into the Stage 4 category of the “Resilience Roadmap.” Stage 4 basically ends the “Stay Home Order.”
Upon reaching this stage, open larger gathering concerts and venues may resume. We assume that even by October, we will not have reached this stage. An initial concern was that medical experts predicted a “second wave” of the virus during the autumn months and this may have prevented the event. However, we haven’t even weathered the first wave yet. It seems only logical and prudent that the AAI cancels the event now.
The AAI invites persons interested in the 2021 event to continue to register for updates and details of the 23rd Art Walk & Wine Tasting. Already, the AAI looks forward to making the 2021 event spectacular. Register at www.artinidyllwild.org for this and other AAI events.
