The Three River Festival Board of Directors has made the difficult decision to postpone the 52nd Three Rivers Festival. While it breaks our hearts that we have come to this conclusion, we know we have made the right choice based on current circumstances.
Our mission has always been community-focused, and this year our best move is the one that promotes a safe environment in Fort Wayne. Our Festival is the second-largest in Indiana, drawing roughly half a million visitors each summer. After working with the Allen County Board of Health and the City of Fort Wayne, we have determined that the challenges of social distancing and other CDC safety guidelines are too much to overcome with the large crowds that are attracted.
In addition to the safety of our guests, our festival relies on volunteers. Many of these
volunteers are among the population most at-risk. These are our neighbors, friends, and
community members that have become part of our Three Rivers Festival family over the past five decades.
Our festival would start just days after the move to stage 5 of Indiana’s Back on Track plan
(scheduled for July 4th). Unfortunately, delaying the festival to another time is not an option. Any interruption in the Back on Track timeline would jeopardize not only the 2020 Three Rivers Festival, but the financial hardship would jeopardize future festivals as well.
We hope to be around another 52 years–postponing ensures that opportunity. The Three Rivers Festival Board of Directors is still hard at work on alternative and virtual ways to celebrate Fort Wayne, our rivers, and everything that makes our community strong. We will
announce these details in the coming weeks.
We encourage all our guests and patrons to continue to follow social distancing and safety
recommendations. We cannot wait to bring our community together for our 52nd Three Rivers Festival in 2021.
