SPOKANE, Wash. — Pig Out in the Park canceled its 41st annual event for 2021 due to COVID-19.
The popular event which features food vendors, public market vendors and musicians, was initially scheduled for Sept. 1-6.
In a press release, organizers said they have coordinated closely with the Spokane Regional Health District, Riverfront Park and the City of Spokane to have a safe event.
However, with the recent dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases, they have a responsibility to the Spokane community, their vendors, musicians and crew that they take quite seriously, organizers said. This prompted them to reschedule the 41st annual Pig Out in the Park is now rescheduled for August 31 through September 5, 2022.
They also said their event faces many challenges when trying to protect against COVID-19. The venue, uncontrolled free entry and a very large audience over six days can all pose challenges.
Pig out in the Park was canceled in Aug. 2020 due to the pandemic and event restrictions put forth by the state. That was the first time the event was canceled in its 40 years, though it was postponed by a week 20 years ago due to severe weather.
Pig Out in the Park served more than 195,000 servings of food and drinks at its 2019 event, organizers said.
According to the event’s website, the event earned the city of Spokane nearly $100,000 in revenue in 2019, not including taxes, and about 122,000 people were in attendance.