Frankie Valli and the four seasons will conduct the Loessfest concert on May 26, 2018 in Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park.
File Photo / Joe Shearer
The city of Bluffs has canceled the loess festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Loess festival planning requires entertainment acts to be booked months in advance, and we didn’t know what our COVID-19 numbers would be until Memorial Day,” said Vincent Martorello, director of Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation.
Given the impending spread of viruses and the unpredictability of the pandemic, city officials decided that canceling the loess festival was the safest decision.
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“As more people are vaccinated, activities will start again and River’s Edge Park will return to a lively hangout,” said Matt Walsh, Council Bluffs mayor.
The loess festival was founded in 2013 and quickly became the traditional prelude to the community in the summer. The Loessfest took place on the weekend of Memorial Day and offered a large selection of free events with something for everyone.
In the first five years, the loess festival brought more than 175,000 people from all over the region to our riverside. The loess festival was canceled in 2019 due to flooding and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials hope the festival will return in 2022.
“River’s Edge Park is a point of pride for Council Bluffs and we look forward to having major events there again soon,” said Walsh.