“It is disappointing that this will be the second year in a row without a Calle Ocho Music Festival, but public health is the priority.
Kiwanis Club of Little Havana president Jorge Fernandez said in a statement that the pandemic hit the organization hard by crippling its largest fundraisers, but he hopes to see the signature event return by next year. All proceeds from the festival go toward Kiwanis youth programs, and this second cancellation deals a significant blow to the club's work in the community.
The festival, the largest celebration of Latin music and culture in the U.S., is one of the organization's major fundraising events. The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, organizers of Carnaval Miami, which hosts Calle Ocho Festival, is a nonprofit organization that helps South Florida underprivileged youth by providing scholarships and school supplies, among other services. Still, organizers held out hope they'd be able to return to an in-person event by this year. Last October, the celebration returned in facsimile form, with a digital livestream of Latino musical acts, including a virtual appearance by the late Celia Cruz. As of today, Miami-Dade County has reported more than 380,000 total cases of the virus and around 5,000 deaths, according to the state's coronavirus dashboard. When the 2020 festival was canceled last March, coronavirus cases were only beginning to pop up in South Florida, and City of Miami officials put a stop to massive gatherings as a precautionary measure and forced the cancellation of major music events, including Calle Ocho. The decision comes as COVID-19 persists in Miami-Dade County. In a statement released this morning, festival organizers announced that they have canceled this year's festivities scheduled for March, as well as their other annual cultural event in Coral Gables, Carnaval on the Mile, in the interest of public health. Along with Ultra Music Festival, the festival was one of the first major events postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19. In a stark reminder that the pandemic is still upending life in Miami one year later, the world-famous Calle Ocho Music Festival has been canceled once again for 2021.
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