ANGUILLA--The Anguilla Summer Festival Committee has reluctantly cancelled events for this year. The Committee with the support of the Ministry of Social Development and the Department of Youth & Culture (DYC), were busily planning the eagerly anticipated Festival. In a release from the Department of Youth it states, “This event is one of, if not the premier event on our cultural calendar. Several activities are also extremely popular with many of our regional neighbours, including the August Monday Beach Party, daily boat races and the Leeward Islands Calypso Competition.”
In view of this, the Committee reports that they found it extremely difficult to make the decision to cancel all government-sponsored Summer Festival events for 2021, though the organisers were able to condense Summer Festival 2020 into a one-day event that was executed with closed borders and no restrictions. They note that in comparison, this year with the prospect of open borders, it will be more difficult to assure the safety of all.
“While Anguilla is making top-of-the-region strides towards ‘herd immunity’ as the majority of our adult population accept the responsibility to be vaccinated, this status is not guaranteed,” the Committee notes. The challenging financial situation in the country was also considered. The Committee has announced that the decision has been made to focus on the achievement of a well-executed Summer Festival in 2022.
The Ministry and the DYC have announced that the position of the government does not preclude private organisers from executing events. Any private Summer Festival events must strictly adhere to all government requirements and protocols and must receive permission for sound amplification from the Royal Anguilla Police Force. “The Ministry and the DYC stand ready to work with private entities who wish to stage shows or activities during the August week and encourage interested promoters/organisers to reach out to the DYC with questions or concerns,” the release states.
