By Mike Romero
2020 was a brutal year for the live music industry. For artists, promoters, and events staff, cancellations of major festivals like Coachella led to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Variety reported last December that the live music industry as a whole lost $30 billion.
We’ve felt the pain locally. House shows are on hold. Velour is closed until further notice. Kilby Court is hosting concerts at reduced capacity, with many artists performing without pay and donating to the venue to keep it open. Touring artists were forced to return home, and many musicians have had to pick up jobs to make up for lost revenue. The pandemic has decimated an entire industry.
The one bright spot in 2020 for local music was Fork Fest – an outdoor festival presented by the Harrington Center for the Arts in partnership with Velour Live Music Gallery. While Fork Fest has been held annually for several years now, last year it became an unexpected cultural necessity. Fork Fest 2020 was able to financially support 186 artists, creative workers, and small businesses who had been impacted by the pandemic. And it did so while following state-mandated social distancing and mask regulations.
This week, the Harrington Center for the Arts announced that Fork Fest would be returning for another year. The festival will be held on Saturday, June 19th. Artist submissions have also been opened for this years’ event, and musicians can apply at ForkFest.org. The application deadline is March 13, 2021.
For more updates, follow @forkfestmusic or like them on Facebook here. You can check out the Sizzle Reel for Fork Fest 2020 below.
Provo Music Magazine 