The 15th annual Mission Creek Festival is the latest event to fall to the coronavirus pandemic. Festival organizers sent an email just before 6 p.m. Thursday announcing the cancellation of the festival “in its current form” due to the public health risk.
Originally scheduled to take place at various downtown Iowa City venues April 1-4, Mission Creek Executive Director Andre Perry wrote in a statement that his team hopes to hold a version the festival in late summer or early fall instead.
The festival lineup included musicians Kim Gordon, Black Belt Eagle Scout, (Sandy) Alex G and Adia Victoria; writers Garth Greenwell, Samantha Irby and Tommy Pico; and many more interdisciplinary artists.
Ticketholders with immediate inquiries about refunds are encouraged to email info@missioncreekfestival.com or call the Englert box office at 319-688-2653.
Iowa has 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 14 of which in Johnson County. Among other closures and cancellations, classes at the state’s three public universities, including the University of Iowa, have been moved online for the two weeks following next week’s spring break (a period which covered the original Mission Creek schedule).
Below is the Mission Creek Festival announcement in its entirety.
Mission Creek Fans,
Since we last wrote, the public health situation in our area has intensified.
With sadness and resolve, we must announce that Mission Creek Festival 2020 will not carry forward in its current form. As such, there will be no public events during the April 1-4 period.
We are working with festival artists and authors to set up a special Mission Creek event in the late-summer/early-fall.
We plan to have details early next week including:
1. The dates and lineup of the new event
2. A list of artists who will not be able to make the new event.At that time, we will also have information regarding exchanges and refunds so that you can make the choice that works for you. As a nonprofit organization navigating a challenging period, we are extremely appreciative of any patron who donates the cost of their ticket in lieu of a refund, however, we understand that is not always financially possible.
To discuss refunds now, please call our box office at 319.688.2653 during normal hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday 12:30 – 5:30) or email info@missioncreekfestival.com.
We are grateful for your support of the festival and the arts in our area. We are sending our love to our community, artists, and staff.
Sincerely,
Andre Perry
Executive Director
