After a lot of thought and consultation, the Moisture Festival (a 501(c)3 non-profit) Board of Directors has decided to cancel the 2020 production of Moisture – all shows scheduled from March 12th – April 5th, plus workshops and Tent Talks, will be cancelled. With concerns about the Coronavirus, a.k.a. COVID-19, spreading among its audiences and green rooms, the Board declared Moisture Festival postponed, with plans already starting for the 2021 shows.
“Needless to say,” Ron Bailey, MF Founder and Board Member wrote, “everyone at Moisture Central is heartbroken but we’re singing Charlie Chaplin… ‘Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it’s breaking. When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by, if you smile through your fear and sorrow…’”
With wonderful plans in place for 2020, hundreds of performers scheduled to travel here for the shows, and hundreds of volunteers signed-up to work the venues, and tickets already sold for many of the dates, the decision was difficult and dramatic. “We will so miss all of the smiling audience members filling Hale’s Palladium!” wrote Bailey, “Stay safe and healthy everyone. We will keep you posted on our plans to come back stronger than ever.”
Once the COVID-19 threat has lifted, it is to be hoped that a mini-Festival, or productions created by local MF performers, may crop up with shows and offerings for audiences in Fremont.
In the meantime, those who had already purchased tickets to the 2020 Moisture Festival will see their money refunded – but everyone is asked to consider giving a financial donation to MF, to help pay for costs incurred on this cancelled season and to help create the 2021 production.
Stay tuned, to MoistureFestival.org (click here) and Fremocentrist.com, to get more information about plans going forward, once the COVID-19 outbreak ends.