SANDPOINT — There won’t be any music drifting across Memorial Field or bands jamming as fans dance in the aisles as Festival at Sandpoint officials announced Monday the summer music series was taking a year off due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was made following consultation with local health officials, music industry experts, and the Festival at Sandpoint’s board of directors.

This summer would have marked the Festival’s 38th summer concert series, which is now rescheduled for August 2021.

“It is with heavy hearts that we have made a difficult, but what we feel to be the most responsible decision to postpone the 2020 Festival at Sandpoint season in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” interim Festival at Sandpoint Executive Director Ali Baranski said in the press release.

“While Sandpoint is a small, tight-knit community, over half of the Festival at Sandpoint’s concertgoers reside outside of Idaho, as we draw music lovers from across the country and internationally to our little town. We know that a global pandemic does not stop at the Long Bridge and it would be irresponsible to gather 30,000 people this summer over the course of our two-week event.”

Prioritizing the health and safety of the community, the concert series’ fans, musicians, volunteers, and staff, Baranski said the organization made the difficult decision to postpone the event until next summer.

“[We] cannot wait to gather again and put on our best Festival yet in 2021,” she said. “We look forward to rescheduling many of our amazing and exciting artists we had booked for 2020.”

News that the annual summer music series was being postponed for a year was greeted with sadness, also acknowledgment the Festival board made the best decision, albeit the most difficult one.

“I was saddened to read about the Festival today but I applaud their courage to do what was needed for the good of the community,” Kate McAlister, Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said. “This is always a difficult decision for all concerned.”

A 2012 University of Idaho College of Business economic impact study pointed to a spike in dollars flowing through the community during The Festival at Sandpoint — close to $2 million in direct impact for those two weeks, plus another half-million dollars in accommodations each year. Additionally, the study found that 25 jobs exist throughout the region because of the Festival and calculated that the average visitor who comes here for the event spends about $65 on dining and another $50 on shopping per day.

The decision will be a hit to the economy this year, as will earlier cancellations of other events such as Lost in the ‘50s, Summer Sampler and potentially others the further the community moves into summer, McAlister said.

“It is a tenuous time in our history and no one knows what will happen as we go through 2020,” she added. “I do believe we will still be seeing visitors this summer, we are seeing them now. One thing I know for sure, we are resilient and we may be down for a bit, but we will come back stronger.”

Like the chamber, Sandpoint officials noted the decision was difficult for not only the Festival board but also for the community.

“Given the current circumstances and many unknowns among the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the best decision at this time,” Sandpoint City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said. “We look forward to the return of the Festival in 2021.”

In the meantime, Baranski and Festival at Sandpoint board members said the organization will continue to monitor recommendations from the CDC and staying in contact with music industry experts, local authorities, as well as monitoring the overwhelming number of organizations who have canceled or postponed their summer and fall events due to the pandemic.

If the situation improves, Festival officials said there is a chance the organization will resume its education programs and produce smaller events prior to the 2021 season, but will ultimately assess those opportunities as conditions evolve, but with the health and safety of fans, students, and the community taking priority.

“The heart of our decision is centered on you, our Festival at Sandpoint community, and ensuring we can collectively remain strong and connected for years to come,” Baranski said. “Please save the date for the 38th Festival at Sandpoint for August 2021! The show (planning) must go on!”

The summer concert series is the primary annual fundraising event for the nonprofit Festival at Sandpoint. Because of the community’s support — as well as that of music fans from around the country and dedicated volunteers as well as ticket sales and donations. That combination has allowed the Festival at Sandpoint to sponsor numerous music education programs, provided the community access to world-class music experiences, and an organization that brings such energy, vitality, and positive economic impact to the region each summer.

“Unfortunately, this year’s cancellation due to COVID-19 will have a significant financial impact on the organization,” Baranski said.

To help offset that impact, The Festival at Sandpoint is seeking donations to help continue to offer its 2020-’21 programs and plans to hold a virtual fundraising event in the upcoming months in lieu of the two in-person fundraising events canceled this year.

The Festival at Sandpoint has presented “an intimate concert on the lake” since 1983 after the 501(c)(3) nonprofit was founded the year before by a group of local volunteers who wanted to introduce symphonic music to the area and provide an economic boost for the community.

The first season of the Festival featured three concerts at Memorial Field that featured the Spokane Symphony Orchestra. Since then, the Festival has grown and diversified with the now two-week series welcoming more than 30,000 people through the gates over the eight-night event to hear an eclectic range of concerts — from country, jazz, blues and folk to world, rock and pop. Artists have included everyone from Willie Nelson, Etta James, The Beach Boys and Johnny Cash to Dierks Bentley, Ziggy Marley and Jake Owen.