Keeping the color-coded EventCheck Knox calendar updated has felt like a game of Twister as events moved hither and yon in 2020 because of COVID-19.
The month of April ended up with every event either canceled or postponed, with the exception of Mayor Indya Kincannon’s “State of the City” address to reveal the 2020-21 budget on Friday, April 24. That is usually a well-attended gathering of elected officials and business and community leaders, but it instead will be done with a video message and the budget posted online.
A worldwide pandemic was not in anyone’s planner when event dates were chosen months ago for the spring of 2020. Some events were even scheduled a year in advance (and these planners are some of my favorite people speaking as someone who populates EventCheck Knox).
Some April events that initially were listed as postponed, such as the UT Gardens Gala, have now been canceled in 2020. The good news is that April 30, 2021, already has been selected for next year’s event. Crissy and Bill Haslam, the former first lady and governor of Tennessee, will remain on board as honorary hosts, and the 2021 gala still will honor Dr. Susan Hamilton, the retiring director of UT Gardens.
May is a mixture right now of postponed or canceled events and ones still set to occur as planners wait and see how the month will unfold in terms of social distancing and overall safety. Putting groups of people in a confined area was off-limits in April, and May remains in flux in terms of restrictions.
Organizers of one of the biggest events in May, Leadership Knoxville’s Annual Mayors’ Leadership Luncheon, made the decision this week to postpone the May 19 luncheon, which typically draws 1,000 people. A new date has not been selected yet.
If your event has been postponed, please email me with a new date as soon as you know it at [email protected].
Please check EventCheck Knox all the way through 2020 to make sure your event is listed, whether it’s a regular summer, fall or winter event or a rescheduled one from spring. We all look forward to gathering again as soon as we can.
Maria Cornelius, a writer/editor for Moxley Carmichael, populates the EventCheck Knox calendar. Her favorite events involve sports, of which there are none right now, and cold beer, of which there is plenty in quarantine.
The Event Check Knox calendar is more helpful than ever as I struggle to figure out when we’ll have something to cover for VIP Knoxville magazine. I don’t know how you’re keeping all the changes straight, but I appreciate your doing it. I’m also borrowing the title of this blog post (& giving you credit, of course) for my Letter from the Editor for our June/July issue. Worst Party Crasher Ever. No kidding!
Thank you, Gay! And borrow away. I sat down to write a blog entry about coronavirus and how it affected events, and ‘worst party crasher ever’ just popped in my head.