CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The City of Clarksville has canceled this year’s Riverfest "out of an abundance of caution" as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The city made the announcement Wednesday, citing the COVID surge in Clarksville-Montgomery County, adding that it's “causing a major strain on local medical institutions.” The event was scheduled for Sept. 9 through Sept. 11.
Mayor Joe Pitts made the decision to cancel this year’s event after meeting with local health and government officials.
“The number of cases, especially hospitalizations in Clarksville-Montgomery County is alarming and only continuing to rise,” Mayor Pitts said. “The latest data shows this virus is surging and serious. Erring on the side of caution, I have chosen to cancel this year’s Riverfest. This is not an easy decision, nor one we take lightly. Our team consulted multiple medical professionals who have been monitoring our numbers closely and the last thing I wanted was for our event to be a contributing factor to an already dire situation.”
According to city officials, more than 80% of the region’s hospitalized patients are unvaccinated, and the number of hospitalizations has surged.
“With Riverfest historically attracting more than 30,000 attendees for the weekend event and surging COVID cases following the Labor Day weekend, the decision was made to cancel the event,” the city said in part.
