The Summer Concert Series at the Gazebo, held each summer on the lawn of Carmel City Hall, has been canceled by the Fountain Square Committee, which oversees the annual series. The cancellation is due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The popular concert series has drawn thousands of people to the lawn for the Wednesday night shows, making it difficult to respect physical distancing recommendations by the CDC and raising the risk of spreading the virus.
“After much thought and consideration for our guests, we’ve decided to make a tough call and unfortunately, canceling this series is the responsible thing to do,” the Fountain Square Committee said in a statement issued Thursday. “It’s the first time in 25 years that the concerts will not take place on Wednesday evenings in the summer. This is one of our favorite ways to gather with friends in the community, but we need to prioritize the health and safety of our bands, sponsors, attendees and volunteer committee members.”
The committee explored the possibility of virtual concerts, but decided the atmosphere of these live events could not be recreated adequately by watching a band through a streaming device or television.
“We remain committed to providing the City of Carmel and the community with outdoor entertainment in the summer and will continue to work on our 2021 concert season with our sponsors and bands,” the committee said.