RICHMOND, Va. -- VA Pridefest has been postponed due to concerns about a surge of COVID-19 cases.
The eventwas scheduled for September 25 on Brown's Island.
“After consulting with our many corporate sponsors, organizational partners and volunteers we have decided it is in the best interest of the health and safety of our community to postpone VA Pridefest 2021 until next year,” said James Millner, program director of Diversity Richmond, of which Virginia Pride is a part.
Virginia Pride and Diversity Richmond began planning for an in-person event in early June when many COVID-19 restrictions on events were lifted.
Organizers were hopeful that this year's event would be bigger and better than ever after COVID cancelled last year's event.
“In a very short period of time, we were able to raise record amounts of money, secure phenomenal entertainment acts and plan an event of which our community and the entire Richmond Region would have been proud,” Millner explained. “Our preparation puts us on solid footing as we postpone the festival to 2022 when we hope to hold it in June as part of the national observation of LGBTQ Pride Month. This has long been a goal of ours, and this just may give us that opportunity.”
Organizers said the decision to postpone the event was not made lightly. Virginia Pride said that it plans to still hold smaller events during the month of September at which attendance can be limited and proof of vaccinations or masks can be required.
