Some questions you might be asking about the 2020 Virtual festival:
Q: Why go online this year?
A: When the pandemic initially hit and large events where cancelling or postponing the board of directors had to decide to either do the same or try something new that could still engage the community in a meaningful way and continue to promote and support local arts, music and culture.
Q: Now that some regulations have lifted why not have a scaled down version of the outdoor festival?
A: First, because we all know things can change quickly from day to day and the board doesn't want to take any unnecessary risk to public safety.
Secondly, it's two different planning strategies and actions that need to be taken for each kind of festival and it's not possible to plan for both scenarios.
Lastly, this being a free outdoor festival there is no way to properly control the number of people gathering, insure safe sterilization of all porta potties and publicly used spaces or enforce social distancing.
In conclusion, we are excited and proud of all of the video content being made and shared through this virtual festival. It's having a wider reach and showcasing so much of the local talent we have to offer. The videos can be enjoyed and shared for years to come as well used as a tool to promote the festival and city at large for when we can welcome guest back again.
We look forward to hosting the Old Town Ramble & Ride festival back outdoors in the community where it meant to be but until then, stay safe, be well, and keep on Rambling & Riding.
-Old Town Community Association
