Submitted by the Doe Bay Festival

Doe Bay Fest Coordinator, Jami Mitchell, announced this week that Doe Bay Fest 13, which was scheduled to occur at Doe Bay Resort and Retreat, August 6-9 is officially canceled for 2020, as is the Imagine festival also hosted at Doe Bay Resort.

“We decided that, even if we were permitted to host these events, we would still not elect to do so out of respect for our neighbors,” said Mitchell.

Owner Joe Brotherton said, “Being able to safely and legally host Doe Bay Fest or Imagine doesn’t convince us that a large influx of people to the island wouldn’t raise reasonable concerns with our neighbors, regardless of whether authorities or experts indicate it is safe.”

Sadly, Doe Bay Fest and Imagine will not occur as originally conceived, and organizers hope to celebrate their return in the future. For Doe Bay Fest, ticket holders have been offered a selection of options for refunding or redeeming the value of their tickets, and Mitchell is working with the many local vendors and services she collaborates with for the event to inform them all of the decision to cancel the festival this summer.

Mitchell says that Doe Bay Resort hopes to be able to host Doe Bay Fest and Imagine again in the future. Until then, Joe Brotherton says he is committed to supporting live music when the opportunities arise to do that safely. “Music is a medicine and one of our allies throughout this challenging unknown,” says Mitchell.