It will come as a blow for many to hear, but the committee that organizes Sidewalk Days has had to make the difficult decision to postpone the 2021 event.

Following the lead of events such as Country Thunder, the committee has said that they have had to give up on the idea of a large festival with thousands of vendors, entertainers, and guests. Jacki L'Heureux-Mason, the executive director of Sidewalk Days, explains that organizing such an event is simply not possible under the current public health orders.

"The reality is that things like this take a ton of time to plan. We had to make some serious money-related decisions based on losing some deposits at the end of March. With things not being anywhere near allowing thousands of people in one spot, we just knew that it was the right decision to make."

While this is disappointing news for everyone who enjoyed the yearly festival, it is even more so for the many vendors who rely on it for income.

"For some of them, this is the only way that they make money. It's now been over a year of no business for them so it's devastating. Unfortunately, we've already seen at least 15 vendors who had signed up are now no longer in business at all."

Even with the losses, L'Heureux-Mason is confident that the festival will make a big comeback in 2022 with some features new and familiar alike. In the meantime, the committee is hoping to put on a smaller event this September to celebrate the businesses downtown.

"From all the experts we've heard, we're probably still at least a year away from having large crowds so it's going to be a little smaller. Either with restricted numbers or some more informal browsing on Main Street. Maybe even some drive-in concerts."

L'Heureux-Mason says the stripped-back festival will have to be something that they can plan in two months instead of a year.

In a press conference on Tuesday, May 4, Premier Scott Moe said the province's vaccination rate is on track to see most remaining restrictions lifted by the middle of July. However, it has yet to be revealed what kinds of large gatherings will be permitted come the fall.