The organizers of DelFest, held at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD, have announced they have no choice but to postpone the upcoming music festival until Memorial Day 2022.
Despite best efforts from promoters in working with state and local governments, the postponement was shared on Thursday, September 9, citing specific staffing and COVID-19 safety requirements needed for the event to carry forward. Issues are noted in the announcement by Rob and Ronnie McCoury point to a lack of vaccinated staff among local workers, coupled with a general lack of available workers for staffing. Among these cited are local shuttle services and vendors.
The music industry by and large has needed strict adherance to safety protocols, including daily testing and mask wearing at all times, to ensure that one band or crew member getting sick does not cause a show, let alone a full tour or festival, to be postponed or cancelled. The surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19 left DelFest 2021 no choice but to push back to Memorial Day 2022, when conditions may better warrant a full festival experience.
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This edition of DelFest featured headliners The Travelin’ McCourys, Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and Railroad Earth. Other acts included Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush, and Leftover Salmon.
DelFest will offer refunds as requested through September 20, with all non-refunded tickets honored at the 2022 festival. While DelFest is held each year in Cumberland, MD, promoters were forced to cancel the 2020 edition, and then postpone the 2021 edition until this September. Two years without DelFest and fans shouting ‘Del Yeah!’ leaves a gap in the festival and travel schedule for many.
Revisit NYS Music’s past coverage of DelFest, and read the letter from Rob and Ronnie McCoury below.
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