City of Mobile postpones Dauphin Street Beer Festival to October
Aug 13th, 2021
Posted in: Parks and RecreationSpecial Events
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August 13, 2021
For Immediate Release:
City of Mobile postpones Dauphin Street Beer Festival to October
Mobile, Ala. — In response to increased COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the City of Mobile and its Parks and Recreation Department are postponing the Dauphin Street Beer Festival until October 16, 2021.
After speaking with local health officials, local hospitals and downtown bar and restaurant owners, the decision was made to postpone the August 28 event to protect public safety, frontline healthcare workers and those in the local service industry, Mayor Sandy Stimpson said in an announcement on Thursday.
“There is not a responsible way to move forward with this event at this time because the Dauphin Street Beer Festival creates an environment that makes it difficult to properly social distance,” Stimpson said. “Our EMS and hospitals are in crisis, and many of our restaurants and bars are already facing staffing shortages because of COVID-19. Every person we have communicated with agrees postponing Beerfest to some point later this year is the best option to protect public health and the integrity of the event itself.”
Dr. Bill Admire, Chief Medical Officer at Mobile Infirmary, said all four of the city’s hospitals are currently “overwhelmed” with COVID-19 cases being driven by the Delta variant. He encouraged Mobilians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to keep following the latest CDC guidance.
“We need immediate support from our community residents to get vaccinated, to social distance and to wear masks when appropriate,” Admire said in a statement. “This is the only way we can defend ourselves and the community from the current COVID-19 surge.”
Working with local restaurant and bar owners, our staff identified October 16, 2021, as the best date for the Dauphin Street Beer Festival. Ticket holders and event participants can find more information at beerfestmobile.com. Many restaurants and bars supported the decision to postpone BeerFest to October.
“As much as we love a good time in downtown Mobile, safety for our community always comes first. With this being a ticketed, sell-out three-hour event with close to 4,000 attendees, there is no way to avoid close contact without taking away from the BeerFest experience. As a downtown business owner, I fully support postponing the event to later this year to help keep our community healthy now AND to allow us to celebrate to the fullest when the time is right.” - Matt Golden, owner of LoDa Biergarten.
“Bringing events like Beerfest back to life after a long year is exciting. As a business owner and community member, I agree that postponing in light of rising cases is the right decision based off the uncertainty and having to make a call in enough time for planning. To stay positive, think about this event with cool temperatures!” - Matt Lemond, owner of O'Daly's Irish Pub and POST, Cedar Street Social Club
“As the owners of Soul Kitchen, we support the postponement of Beerfest until October in light of the spike in COVID hospitalizations. Our goal is to keep everyone happy and healthy. We look forward to a happy, safe Beerfest in cooler weather!” - Maggie Smith, owner of Soul Kitchen
“It’s in everyone’s best interest to postpone Beerfest—I think the overall experience will be better for everyone in the cooler weather.” Margo Gilbert, General Manager of the Battle House Hotel (Joe Cain Café)