We're disappointed to announce that that the 2021 Edmonds Oktoberfest has been cancelled, due to the rise in COVID cases in King and Snohomish counties.
We cannot thank the Edmonds community enough for the excitement and support you've provided as we attempted to bring back this in-person event during a global pandemic. We truly thought we could pull it off but the Delta variant and corresponding COVID cases changed everything (again).
This change was made as a safety precaution given the current COVID-19 environment in our region. The rate of new COVID cases reached an all-time high last week at 464 per 100,000 people, according to data released Tuesday, Sept. 7, by the Snohomish Health District.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Maggie Peterson, Edmonds Rotary President. “We very much want Edmonds Oktoberfest to be a family-friendly traditional event but the current rise in COVID-19 cases, combined with the start of the school year, creates a situation where there would be many vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals co-mingling. We are looking forward to bringing back Oktoberfest (or similar event) including the Kids Korner and all corresponding fun activities in 2022!”
Edmonds Oktoberfest Founder and Committee Co-Chair David Kaufer added, “We are dependent on volunteers to run this event, with more than 170 volunteer slots identified. We do not feel comfortable placing them, as well as attendees and other participants, in a situation where they may be at a higher risk of catching or transmitting this highly contagious variant.”
The club plans to hold a similar event in 2022 and hopes to make an announcement in January 2022. Those who have purchased tickets for Edmonds Oktoberfest may request a refund by emailing [email protected]. Funds raised by Edmonds Rotary support the Edmonds community, including scholarships to local students, providing more than $40,000 to Edmonds Waterfront Center and more than $150,000 for a new Inclusive Playground planned at the new Civic Park.
The previously planned 5K Run/Walk and Pet Parade have also been postponed in 2021 with plans to bring both back in 2022.
Thank you again for your support. We hope to see you all safely soon!
