PHOENIX — It has been a wild week with the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball all deciding to suspend their current seasons, including Spring Training in Arizona. MLB's Opening Day games will also be delayed by at least two weeks, the organization announced.
Not to mention the number of conferences, events, and festivals that have been canceled here in the Valley -- and across the country. In Phoenix specifically, the St. Patrick's Day Faire which was supposed to happen on Saturday, March 14, has been canceled, but the parade will go on as planned, organized said Wednesday.
Related: LIST: School districts announce extended closures
But, not everyone is canceling. For others, their events will go on as planned (at least for now), albeit with a few more dispensers of hand sanitizer. Here is a list of which events have been canceled and which events are proceeding as scheduled in the Valley.
Editor's note (March 15): On Sunday, Gov. Doug Ducey said he supported the CDC's recommendation that large-scale events, such as festivals, concerts, and weddings, with 50 people or more be canceled or postponed.
The following attractions around Phoenix also remain open:
CANCELED OR POSTPONED EVENTS
Pat's Run: Pat’s Run 2020 is going virtual. On April 18, instead of gathering together in Tempe, we encourage you to run 4.2 miles individually, wherever you are. Let’s show our strength in a challenging time and also support Tillman Scholars. The mission will go on.
Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival: After insisting that the event would go on as planned, organizers with the Chandler Ostrich Festival reversed course minutes before the festival was scheduled to begin. The festival has been postponed and will be rescheduled, organizers said in a news release. "This was not an easy decision and certainly not one we took lightly,” said Terri Kimble, President and CEO of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce. "The Chamber and our partner, SLE have taken extraordinary efforts to ensure the safety of the public, however in wake of the President's Declaration of National Emergency, and the state’s Declaration of Public Health Emergency we feel it is in the best interests of our attendees, staff, vendors and all people involved that the festival is postponed. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials and the CDC.”
Luke Days: Luke Air Force Base announced Friday that "Luke Days 2020 Airshow scheduled for March 21-22, 2020 is canceled due to growing COVID-19 concerns and to mitigate health risks to attendees."
Phoenix Pride Parade and Festival: Organizers behind Phoenix Pride announced Friday that they have canceled their April events and will reschedule them for sometime in the fall.
Tempe Festival of the Arts: Officials announced Friday that the Tempe Festival of the Arts, scheduled for March 27-29 in downtown Tempe, would be canceled. "Please know this decision was not taken lightly by City of Tempe leadership or Tempe Festival of the Arts
event producers. Many alternative solutions were discussed. Ultimately, it was decided that cancelling
would be the best route for the general public and festival participants," a news release said.
Scottsdale Arts Fest: On Thursday afternoon, organizers announced that the Scottsdale Arts Fest had been canceled. Earlier in the week, organizers were hopeful that the festival would go on as previously scheduled. "Unprecedented cancellations across the nation in the areas of sports, culture, entertainment, and education have filled our newsfeeds in the last 24 hours. At this time, we feel compelled to act decisively and out of an abundance of caution to do our part in quelling this pandemic before it is allowed to take hold in our communities," a statement said.
Cirque Du Soliel's Axel: Cirque Du Soleil's upcoming performances of "Axel" in Arizona have been canceled, the show announced in a news release. The show was scheduled to be at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona on March 19-21 and at Tucson Arena in April 17-19, 2020.
Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster would be automatically funded. "The touring division of Cirque du Soleil will be working to reschedule these dates in the upcoming weeks," the statement said.
Italian Festival of Arizona: The Italian Festival of Arizona, which was scheduled to happen this weekend, has been canceled and rescheduled. In a statement, organizers said, "With the unfortunate turn of events related to COVID-19 (coronavirus), the 7th Annual Italian Festival of Arizona slated for this weekend, March 14 and 15, will be postponed to October 17 and 18, 2020."
Nirvana Food and Wine Festival: Organizers announced Thursday that the Nirvana Food and Wine Festival would be postponed. It was initially scheduled for April 16-19, 2020 at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley. In a statement, the festival said: "Ultimately, there is nothing more important to the Nirvana Food & Wine team than ensuring the health and safety of all who attend, and we trust that you will agree with our decision to delay. We are working diligently to find a new date for the event, which we expect to have shortly." All tickets already purchased will be honored at the new date, the statement said.
Gilbert Pizza Festival: The inaugural Gilbert Pizza Fest will be rescheduled, according to David Tyda, the founder of the festival. In a statement posted to the festival,s website, Tyda said: "Your safety and well being is always our top priority. In relation to COVID-19 and festivals/events, we are closely monitoring news updates and recommendations from federal and state public health authorities. We are in the process of rescheduling the festival and will post an update and notify all ticket holders of the new date within 24 hours."
Goodyear Lakeside Music Fest: In a statement, the City of Goodyear said this year's Goodyear Lakeside Music Festival has been canceled. It was originally scheduled for April 18 at the Estrella Lakeside Ampitheater. Plain White T's were scheduled to headline.
The City of Goodyear also canceled its Culture Pop Block Party (March 28), Hop & Hops (April 11) and its outdoor concert series at Goodyear Community Park.
Celine Dion Courage World Tour: Celine Dion postponed the remainder of her North American tour on Thursday, which included a scheduled March 29 stop at Gila River Arena in Glendale. According to a statement sent out via her Twitter account, her tour would be rescheduled. A new date for the Glendale show was not immediately available.
Rage Against The Machine: Those looking forward to Rage Against The Machine's upcoming reunion will have to wait a bit longer. Late Thursday, the band posted a message on its Instagram page that it was postponing its tour due to concerns surrounding COVID-19: "Due to the current outbreak and ban on public gatherings, we are postponing the first part of our tour (March 26-May 20)." The band's tour was scheduled to perform at Gila River Arena on March 30 & April 1. Rescheduled dates have not been released yet.
Pride Run Phoenix: The Pride Run was supposed to happen on Saturday, March 20. However, on their website, they said: "Our top priority is taking the correct actions to protect everyone’s well-being and safety. For this reason, with the rapid spread and uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus, and careful review of the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) directives, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 pride run and walk."
Arizona Game Fair: "After some long conversations with our friends, family, staff, and the gaming community, we have made the decision to postpone this year’s Arizona Game Fair until later in the year" the group posted on its website. "We are working with the Mesa Convention Center to identify a future date for the event. We will contact all attendees and exhibitors with options once we work out the details."
The City of Buckeye has postponed a handful of events related to COVID-19, including the Ultra Man 50K, Buckeye Melodrama, Verrado's Founders Day, and all youth sports leagues. The March 13 concert in the park and stargazing event at Skyline park have been canceled.
The Good Life Festival: The Good Life Festival has canceled its 2020 festival at Schnepf Farms. In a statement, organizers said the festival would return in March 2021.
Anthem Days: In a statement on its website, Anthem City Council said, "With the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the responsible decision to cancel Anthem Days (and carnival)." The two-day event was scheduled to take place March 28-29.
Arab American Festival: The Arab American Festival has been postponed due to concerns surrounding COVID-19, according to a statement on its website. "Out of an abundance of caution and to protect the citizens from coronavirus, we have decided to postpone the festival! Rescheduled date will be announced soon," the statement said.
Good Guys Spring Nationals: The Good Guys Spring Nationals has been canceled. It was scheduled to be at WestWorld of Scottsdale March 20-22. "The decision is based on the rising health risk concerns associated with the COVID-19 virus," officials said in a statement.
My Nana's Best Tasting Salsa Challenge: Salsa lovers will have to wait a bit longer. In a tweet on Saturday, officials said the festival, which was scheduled for April 18, would be postponed.
Arizona Bao and Dumpling Festival: The Arizona Bao and Dumpling Festival has been postponed. It was originally scheduled for March 21 at Dr. AJ Chandler Park. According to a statement, the event will be rescheduled. A new date has not yet been announced.
Taco Fest at Salt River Field: R Entertainment and Talking Stick at Salt River Fields announced that their inaugural Taco Fest event has been postponed indefinitely.
FuelFest: Organizers announced that FuelFest has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. It will take place at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
