From Burgaw to Southport, event organizers in the tri-county area are having to make some tough calls, canceling some events while keeping others on the calendar amid coronavirus pandemic restrictions. 

Wilmington Downtown Inc.’s (WDI) Downtown Sundown Concert Series, scheduled to run each Friday, May 22 through Sept. 4, is still a go, for now.

“We’re continuing the plan for having the concerts and we will adjust to ensure that we comply with any and all requirements for gatherings of people,” said Ed Wolverton, president and CEO of WDI. “So that may mean depending on the timing of things if we have to postpone or delay events, that’s what we will do.”

Both state and local restrictions are in place to limit the number of people gathered in one place. Gov. Roy Cooper last week issued stronger social distancing requirements in retail stores, but earlier guidance from the state and New Hanover County limits no more than 10 people gathering in a single space (unless at essential facilities, like grocery stores or an airport).

Attendance at a single concert in the Downtown Sundown Concert Series is normally between 2,500 to 3,000 people, Wolverton said. 

“We are in a position where we can mobilize relatively quickly … we’ve done enough of these, we know what has to be done,” Wolverton said. “We’re trying to mobilize if we get the word … whether that word comes two weeks from now or a month from now.”

Planning for the concert itself takes about nine months, so much preparation for the event has already taken place. WDI has a tentative band schedule; however, contracts have not been signed, he said.

WDI has also started its charity selection process and permitting process to utilize its sites and to gather information for its ABC permits, Wolverton said.

The series brings in between $45,000 and $50,000 a season and creates customer traffic and sales for downtown businesses, he said. 

Getting volunteers and solidifying sponsorships are another factor.

WDI, however, is “getting everything lined up for when we’re ready to go,” Wolverton said.

Another example of a Wilmington-area summer music event that could be in limbo is the Airlie Garden’s Summer Concert Series. 

Planning for that concert series, hosted at Airlie Gardens, has been going on about six months, said Tara Duckworth, New Hanover County Parks and Garden director, said in an email.  

Ticket sales and sponsorships generate about $40,000 a year, she said. Each concert draws 1,500 to 2,000 people depending on the bands and weather. 

"We are currently evaluating our plan for the May concert and will rely on Public Health to give us guidance. The safety and health of our members, concert attendees and the bands are at the forefront of our minds. We have contingency plans in place but have not made any announcements at this time," Duckworth said.

A band line-up for the concert series has been in place since February, she said.

The department is evaluating all options and has asked bands scheduled for May and June to hold dates unit later in the summer or fall, she said, adding "we have not made any decisions because the situation is evolving so rapidly."

 A decision was made, however, this week for one of Burgaw's largest events.

After months of planning, the N.C. Blueberry Festival scheduled for June 19 and 20 was canceled for the first time in its history, Beth Looney, executive director of the festival, said Monday.

This would have been the festival's 17th year.

“All of our vendors and sponsors, we've been working together for 16 years. And we have such a good relationship and they are like family to us. This decision was hard because we know that this is going to impact them. So the decision that we made was not taken lightly at all,” Looney said.

With the local, state and federal guidelines in place, festival organizers felt that the decision had to be made to cancel, she said. 

"We've been waiting and hoping things would have gotten better or different things would have been looked at, but they haven't been, so we definitely want to follow along and follow suit,” Looney said.

The mainstay of the participant list will be coming back in 2021, she said.

The festival supports the blueberry industry and brings local, state and even national recognition for the town, said town of Burgaw Mayor Pete Cowan, one of the founders of the festival.

"We continue to draw from well over 100 miles away, and even outside the state because of the reputation of the festival as a premier family event in our state. It presents an estimated $2 million economic benefit right here in this community," Cowan said.

More than 40,000 people come to the event annually that provides an immediate benefit to the area's shops, restaurants and hotels, he said.

On the farmer's side, the event shells out 50,000 pounds of blueberries sold a year, he said. It also provides funds for area charities, churches and schools.

“The N.C. Blueberry Festival made a difficult decision to cancel. They acted in the interest of public safety, and we applaud their foresight," said Pender County Tourism Director and Public Information Officer Tammy Proctor. "The N.C. Blueberry Festival is a long-standing tradition in Pender County. We know, with the leadership the festival has in place, it will return stronger than ever in 2021.”

It's one of many major events for the area that have announced cancellations, including the N.C. Azalea Festival and another recent summer event cancellation, the N.C. Fourth of July Festival.

The annual July 4 festival in Southport attracts more than 60,000 visitors each year, according to a news release. This year would have been the event's 225th year. 

“This year, due to the need for instituting public health mitigation measures for the protection of our city, our citizens, and our state, it is my recommendation during this COVID-19 Pandemic, that the Fourth of July Festival in 2020, this celebration of independence and freedom, be canceled to assist in stopping the spread of this contagious disease," city of Southport Mayor Joseph Hatem said in the release. "This was a difficult decision, but the most prudent one and will overall prevent disease and save lives.”