Carmel city officials and event coordinators have decided to cancel the Art of Wine event scheduled for Saturday, July 18, in the Carmel Arts & Design District due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the large number of guests who attend this annual event, coordinators developed and reviewed plans to host with thorough protocols in place but ultimately determined the health, safety and enjoyment of the guests is the top priority. Therefore, canceling the event was determined to be the most responsible option.
Many factors were considered before making the decision to cancel. The risk was determined to be far too great of spreading the COVID-19 virus among guests, volunteers and vendors due to the fact that checking identification and paying for entry are a part of this event. Added to the serving of wine tastings in a group setting made the logistics of physical distancing problematic.
It is the City’s goal to maximize the guest experience and the level of requirements and restrictions involved in keeping all safe under CDC recommendations would not allow for a successful outcome. These factors in conjunction with the event date falling only 14 days from Indiana’s tentative Stage 5 Back on Track Indiana date contributed to the final decision to cancel.