Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival canceled for 2nd year

The Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival has been canceled for the second consecutive year because of organizers’ pandemic-related concerns for the safety of vendors and visitors.

“The festival cannot offer visitors the enriching and entertaining experience that they have come to love and expect due to the current restrictions and mandates,” according to a statement from the festival board.

The 47th festival was scheduled for July 1-4 in Twin Lakes Park in Unity.

“Restrictions require that booths be placed 6 feet apart, everyone must wear a mask and social distancing must take place,” the statement said. “As the festival gets quite crowded and takes place in the heat of summer, it would be very difficult to maintain these restrictions.”

“I am greatly saddened that the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival will not take place again this year,” Executive Director Diane Shrader said. “The staff and board of directors regret that we are disappointing our visitors and vendors, but public safety has always been and will continue to be our No. 1 priority.

“It was disappointing enough last year. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d still be dealing with this a year later.”

As in 2020, the festival will have an online presence via Facebook and its website, Shrader said.

Vendors and performers will be offered time for performances and demonstrations. Crafters and artists will have the opportunity to showcase their wares.

Award winners in the festival’s annual poetry and short story contest, which draws authors from around the globe, will be featured on the website.

Online art shows

Works have been chosen for the Westmoreland Art Nationals Juried Fine Art Exhibit and will be featured on Facebook, Shrader said.

Two iterations of the exhibit are traditionally presented each year, with the first taking place in May at the Youngwood campus of Westmoreland County Community College and the second coinciding with the festival itself.

This year, the first show will go live on Facebook on a to-be-announced date in May, with awards to be announced during a live presentation May 22. The second show will go live in June, with awards to be presented June 26. Local artists and curators Nick Silvis and Dan Overdorff are jurors, respectively, for the shows.

Viewers will be able to vote for the people’s choice awards by liking their favorites on Facebook.

The festival also offers scholarships annually to high school seniors in the county who intend to enroll full time in a visual or literary arts program at an accredited college or university.

“There is still time for Westmoreland County high school seniors to apply for our three 2021 scholarships,” Shrader said.

Applications can be downloaded from the festival website and must be postmarked by May 7.

The scope of advance planning combined with continuing uncertainties related to gathering sizes and other safety protocols led to the decision to cancel, Shrader said.

“Contracts for visitor amenities and safety such as portable toilets, sinks, security, first aid and shuttle buses are a large expense for the festival. These fees are a big part of the festival budget annually, and contracts for these conveniences must be done months in advance,” the board said. “Ads such as TV commercials and billboards also are designed months ahead of time so that they are ready for June 1 when the campaign starts.”

The event annually draws about 200 crafters, 40 food vendors, numerous local and national bands and 125,000 visitors to the park, while employing the services of more than 300 volunteers.

First held as a single-day event in 1975 at Seton Hill College, now Seton Hill University, the festival moved to the park in 1976. It eventually expanded from two to four days at its current location.

Sunshine Artist magazine repeatedly has ranked the festival one of “The 100 Best Classic and Contemporary Craft Shows” in the United States, placing it at No. 15 in the nation and No. 1 in Pennsylvania in 2018.

“Plans for a great 2022 festival are already underway,” Shrader said. “We’d sincerely like to thank our volunteers and sponsors for many their many years of support through grants and sponsorships. We depend on that funding.

“We were able to secure a (Paycheck Protection Program) loan and funding from the Westmoreland County CARES Act, and we continue to seek grants as we go along,” she said.

Updates and information will be posted on Facebook and artsandheritage.com, she said.