Prescott Park Arts Festival Provides Update on Upcoming 2020 Season
Cancels Season Amidst Current Uncertainty
Portsmouth, NH – Prescott Park Arts Festival announced it must cancel its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The safety of our audience is our primary concern, and unfortunately there is simply no safe way to gather a crowd of people in a summer setting without risking infection,” said John Tabor, Chairman of the Prescott Park Arts Festival Board of Directors. “So, we will be dark this summer but look forward to a rejuvenated 2021 season.” He said the festival board and staff tried their best to figure out ways to have a shortened or modified season, but “the economics for small, socially distanced crowds, a partial season or both won’t cover our program costs.”
The Festival wants to thank each performer that auditioned for the musical and seamlessly transitioned to the virtual atmosphere and looks forward to seeing its actors and musicians next year.
“Although it breaks our heart to cancel the season, we also know that challenging times can lead to even greater success on the other side and we are hopeful new opportunities will arise for Prescott Park Arts Festival out of this adversity,” continued Tabor. “The Festival staff and board are committed to carrying out our mission to provide financially accessible, multi-generational, high-quality family entertainment and educational events and we will use this downtime to plan for even greater success in the future.”
With that said, ensuring that Prescott Park Arts Festival returns better than ever in 2021 will require support from the Seacoast community that we love so much. Without a season, the Festival is looking at over $1 million in lost revenue. “The good news is that this community has stepped up many times over the Festival’s 46-year history, and we DO NOT take that support lightly or for granted. If you love Prescott Park Arts Festival as much as we do, we ask for your help in this time of crisis,” Festival Vice Chair Elisabeth Robinson said.
To make a gift of support to PPAF, please visit our donation page.
This decision comes in a time of transition for Prescott Park Arts Festival. Recently announced Executive Director, Courtney Perkins, officially begins her new role on May 15th and has already been working with the Festival board and staff to weather this storm and move towards what’s next in the organization’s storied history. “Despite these current challenges, we are confident in the Festival’s future and are excited to build on past successes while offering new programming for the community. Throughout this process, I have been so moved by the love and care the Seacoast community has for the Festival and I know together we will return even better than before,” she said. Stay tuned to the Prescott Park Arts Festival Web site and social media channels for live updates as they happen.
(Updated 4/30/20)