Maplewoodstock 2020 Festival cancelled - see you in 2021!

It is with great sadness, but also optimism, to announce that due to COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions around social gatherings we have made the decision to postpone the 2020 Maplewoodstock Music and Arts Festival until the weekend of October 3 and 4, 2020.

While there is a chance that the social distancing/social gathering restrictions may be lifted by mid-summer, out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our fellow community members we felt that postponing until the fall was the prudent decision to make.

We are optimistic that, once again, we will have a fantastic weekend with music, art, beer, wine, food and most importantly an opportunity to celebrate our amazing community.We will be contacting all of you who have already committed your support for this year’s festival, including advertisers, sponsors, bands, and vendors very soon.Please be safe and healthy.

As always thank you, friends and neighbors, for your support of the Maplewoodstock Music and Arts Festival.

-- maplewoodstock.com and maplewoodstock@gmail.com

A wise decision.  Hopefully we can gather in October.  I'm imagining a bright fall day with a bright blue sky and leaves turning color.  

Any chance of live streaming parts of previous years?  Perhaps it could be a fundraiser for Rent Party.

Although MW has generally been fortunate with weather, I think early fall is the best time to have outdoor events.  Still, if things improve quickly, I'll be more than happy to be out there in the summer.

Thank you for being responsible for taking care of our community by NOT having Maplewoodstock in July. Though many of us are heartbroken to have our #1 community gathering cancelled, we have much for which to be grateful. I am grateful for the original few who had the idea and made it happen. I am grateful that many years ago our community pulled together to host this amazing event. And continues to do so. I am grateful for our lovely park that serves as a natural amphitheater. I am grateful for years of musicians, t-shirts, lawn signs and wonderful memories. #grateful #thankyoumaplewood

See you next year!  Here's the official note:

Hello all

First let me say that we hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

"What a long, strange trip it's been"

After much discussion the Maplewoodstock Volunteer Committee as decided to cancel Maplewoodstock 2020. We, of course, are very disappointed to share this news. The committee discussed many alternatives, however as the health and safety of our community, bands, artists, vendors, partners, township employees and volunteers must be our top priority, we feel very strongly that this is the right call.

It is true that we had many discussions about alternatives however with everything considered; logistics, finances and most of all safety, we had to come to the sad conclusion that cancellation was our only viable alternative. We will be reaching out to the community and our artists, bands and vendors over the next few days, but we felt it important to inform all of you before we made those announcements.

Thank you for all of your support over the past years and we look forward to coming back stronger and hipper than ever in 2021.

Please be safe

Peace

Tom Kerns on behalf of the entire Maplewoodstock Volunteer Committee.

I hate to admit it but it's the right call.  Maplewoodstock will be sorely missed.  Hopefully, there will be a Maplewoodstock next year.

A shame, such a wonderful community event, but commons sense must prevail (dangit).   

Maplewoodstock is one of the things I miss most about Maplewood. The years when we manned a tent as "Deadgood" were favourites. Party twice as hard next year!

Assuming it’ll be back in 2021, please consider a fall date instead of mid-July.  Many of us were pleased about the idea of Maplewoodstock in the fall.  Perhaps with a little chill in the nighttime air.  

Sweetie said:

Assuming it’ll be back in 2021, please consider a fall date instead of mid-July.  Many of us were pleased about the idea of Maplewoodstock in the fall.  Perhaps with a little chill in the nighttime air.  

 Good idea.

hmm, I'll mention it to the committee.  I would prefer July, just because the sun sets about 2 hours later in July than it does in October - this is very helpful with crowd control and many other factors. 

Are there many music fests in our neck of the woods in October?  Seems like it may a little chilly for musicians also - especially in the evening.

Holding Maplewoodstock in cooler weather could help reduce the canopy rush or even eliminate the need for canopies altogether.  Lack of natural shade at the amphitheater is a huge problem for those of us who are heat sensitive and not everyone who wants to come can set up their own portable shade.  

Always felt,  generally, that mid summer is not a good time to have outdoor festivals, with the heat, humidity, and threat of rain.  Even early to mid September would be better.

There is validity to all viewpoints:

• Hours of light/crowd control
• Sun/heat (the site & rules only allow a small group to set up canopies)
• Absent another virus outbreak, many people are away in July.

Overall, it seems that moving to September would solve most of the attendee problems, without unduly hindering the organizers?

Also, I strongly suspect that there will be restrictions on large gatherings at least through June 2021.  That will make it tricky to decide whether to go ahead in early July.  Moving to September will give organizers more of a cushion.

That settles it. Next Maplewoodstock will be sometime between mid-September to early October.  

bub said:

Always felt,  generally, that mid summer is not a good time to have outdoor festivals, with the heat, humidity, and threat of rain.  Even early to mid September would be better.

 I have never seen an outdoor event that has been as "weather lucky" as MWS. 

Soul_29 said:

bub said:

Always felt,  generally, that mid summer is not a good time to have outdoor festivals, with the heat, humidity, and threat of rain.  Even early to mid September would be better.

 I have never seen an outdoor event that has been as "weather lucky" as MWS. 

 I was gonna say that but past luck is no guaranty of future luck.  

In normal times September-October are back to school and college times. Also I agree that MWS always had good weather.