Deep Ellum News
Quintessential Dallas spring event Deep Ellum Arts Festival gets bumped
The annual Deep Ellum Arts Festival — a staple of Dallas' spring festival circuit — is getting bumped to the fall.
According to a release, organizers have postponed the event from its originally planned dates of April 2-3 to the new dates of September 10-12. The postponement is due to the ongoing pandemic.
This is the third time the event has been pushed: The 2020 festival was initially postponed from April to September, then canceled entirely.
For 2021, organizers worked with Dallas officials and the Deep Ellum community and decided that moving the event was the best thing for public safety, to avoid a possible increase in COVID-19 cases.
Stephen Millard, the festival's producer, said in a statement that they were disappointed to make the difficult decision.
"While we had hoped to be able to produce the April Festival, and had submitted our extensive plans showing how we would be in compliance with CDC recommendations for an outdoor event including mandatory face masks, safe distancing etc., it has been deemed still 'too soon' to override public health and political concerns regarding what is considered safe," Millard said.
Created in 1994, the Deep Ellum Arts Festival has been an annual draw for 26 years. The free community event features artists from across the U.S. displaying and selling original paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry, woodworking, ceramics, mixed media, leatherworks, and fashion.
The Festival also features a live stage with bands, singer/songwriters, and musical artists representing different genres.
The release says that the festival team will continue researching effective precautions and safety measures for the fall, and look forward to welcoming patrons in September.
Next year's festival is still planned for April 1-3, 2022. Surely the pandemic will be tamed by then?
Crystal Charity Ball 2024 chairman Cheryl Joyner and Richard Joyner.
Photo by Ashley Gongora