The Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis, announced that its annual Cities 97.1 Basilica Block Party would be taking a planned one-year hiatus in 2022.
The planned hiatus comes as the Basilica of St. Mary works to reimagine the event for future years and change how it is held.
Holly Dockendorg, the special events manager for Basilica of St. Mary, shared in the press release that COVID has had an impact on the event.
“Live events have had to rethink their strategy and future because of Covid, and the Block Party is no different,” Dockendorf said. “Taking a year off will give us time to rethink what the event could be and how to make it better for the future.”
The block party was held in September 2021, but it was forced to take a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The annual fundraiser looks to help the structural restoration of the nation’s first basilica and started in 1995. Ever since then, the event has been held every year until the canceled block party in 2020.
The music festival is the largest held in the city of Minneapolis, according to the Basilica of St. Mary.
When held in 2021, attendance numbers were lower than in years pre-COVID, the release shared.
Dockendorf added that “compared to previous non-Covid years, attendance was down in 2021, and that was expected, but because the pandemic continues with many uncertainties, we thought this would be a good time to take a hiatus.”
Those looking forward to listening to music in the hot September Minnesota air will now have to wait until 2023 for the fundraiser to return.
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