EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Heritage Festival will not take place as usual this August after Alberta's top doctor clarified that mass gathering restrictions will apply to all summer festivals.
Organizers of the annual festival, slated to take place Aug. 1-3 in Hawrelak Park, say they're now retooling the event to take place entirely online.
“We regret not being able to join together, as in the past, to participate in a collective celebration of cultural diversity, but we recognize the challenges we are all dealing with at this time," said executive director Jim Gibbon. "Large crowds are neither appropriate nor acceptable during the pandemic."
The festival showcases food, culture and entertainment from 74 different cultural groups in the city.
While this year's version is going virtual, participants will still be able to take in entertainment and even order food from various cultural societies for pickup or delivery.
Organizers expect to provide more details in the next few weeks.
The cancellation of the in-person fesitval comes a day after high-profile events like the Calgary Stampede and K-Days announced they would not go ahead this year.
