The band shell in Pattee Park will remain silent this June with the announced cancellation of the summer’s first Friday Fest.
Sponsored by the Perry Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, the popular family-friendly musical events were held for many years on the third Fridays in June and August, with the Chamber sponsoring the city’s Fourth of July events in between.
With the city of Perry planning a July 1 reopening of city facilities, the use of Pattee Park for the venue became problematic for June. The Chamber is also facing a sharp downturn in its share of the city’s hotel-motel tax revenues following the state-imposed closure of local hospitality providers as a result of the novel coronavirus global pandemic.
The Perry City Council turned down last May’s request from Perry Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynsi Pasutti for a downtown Friday Fest that would allow attendees the option to bring their own beverages as they do when the Friday Fests are staged in Pattee Park.
