DULUTH – The city's famous Homegrown Music Festival will be homebound this year as COVID-19 concerns prompted organizers to move the 2021 festival entirely online.
The move was made in response to recommendations to limit large gatherings, said Melissa La Tour, the festival's executive director.
"The programming piece is usually set by the end of January to the beginning of February," La Tour said. "So we needed to act."
She said it's still possible that if the pandemic and restrictions have subsided by May, some in-person events would be allowed, but for now the plan is 100% virtual programming. The annual Winter Fiasco show will also be moved online Jan. 22 and feature short sets from numerous performers.
"It's nothing like people are used to but we will still be there supporting the arts community," La Tour said.
Last year's festival was canceled. It was scheduled just months after the pandemic uprooted daily life and performers moved online.
The 2021 festival is currently scheduled for May 2-9.
The weeklong concert series at venues around Duluth and Superior began in 1999 and has hosted a number of well-known acts with local ties, including Charlie Parr, Low and Trampled by Turtles, in addition to countless other local artists.
