The much-anticipated music festival Flo.wav Fest has been postponed from its original October 9th date due to a rising number of COVID cases in Flagler County. The organizers, Dylan Parra and Conor Bertha, made the announcement on Tuesday via social media that they’d be holding the event sometime in 2022.
The event was scheduled to be the fourth running of the festival, which debuted in 2017. First held in St. Augustine at Sarbez, a small music venue, the festival then moved to Palm Coast Town Center in 2018 as more artists started to appear in the lineup. Its second and third annual editions were held at the Palm Coast Arts Foundation stage on Central Avenue. Flo.wav Fest 4 was slated to take place in 2020, but was ultimately cancelled, also due to COVID.
This year, Parra and Bertha went ahead planning the 2021 edition as vaccinations began to cut into local case numbers. The onset of the Delta variant, however, brought Flagler County’s numbers to an all-time high and nixed the chance of being able to hold a full, functional music festival.
25 local bands and solo artists were scheduled to take the stage at this year’s event, a slightly smaller bill compared to 2019’s crop of 31 performers, and 2018’s collection of 43. Parra and Bertha are always play toward the end of the day; the festival is named after the duo’s alternative hip-hop group Flo.wav.
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In addition to being a robust source of business networking for those who buy vendor tables at Flo.wav Fest, the event has been one of the best ways for young artists to discover each other’s work and foster new collaborative friendships that promote the arts within Flagler County. For an area that’s long had a reputation of being short-handed on performance culture (outside of a celebrated theatre community), Flo.wav Fest’s annual success is changing the narrative.
Still, the strain being put on event organizers by the Delta variant is easy to underestimate. Some large-scale performers, such as americana icon Jason Isbell, are requiring proof of vaccination or recent negative test results to enter the venue. Artists with routinely gargantuan ticket sales can afford to make such moves, even if they deter some of their concertgoers. For more small-scale events like Flo.wav Fest, a dip in attendance could mean the difference between breaking even and taking a financial hit that hinders the ability to hold the event next time around. So for now, Flo.wav Fest will be on hold until it’s a bit safer to gather for concerts.
AskFlagler is proud to serve as an event sponsor for Flo.wav Fest 4 when it holds its rescheduled date in 2022. More information on the event is available on the organizers’ website.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
TR
September 1, 2021 at 5:12 pm
When are people going to stop being controlled like puppets and stop being scared? It’s an out side festival and with some precautions put in place the festival can still go forward. With everyone so scared to live their lives (with common sense) everyone should just lock themselves in their homes and wait to die. JMO This is ridicules.
Joey Callo
September 3, 2021 at 12:11 pm
TR, Perhaps when the US stops leading the world in covid deaths due to people like you, events like this can resume being held without putting your health and life in danger. I’ll bet the 13 deaths in Afghanistan due to a suicide bomber outrages you more than the 600,000 plus covid deaths in America that a large percentage could have been prevented with competent leadership. Trump threw America under the bus, and continues to do so along with the dumpster fire known as the republican party.
TR
September 3, 2021 at 10:10 pm
Your wrong on a lot of your comment. First we only lead the amount of deaths because we have to most people, duh. My life is in danger every day because of other things that go on a daily basis,the flu, lightning strikes, idiot drivers on the road, and a lot more. But I’m not going to stay locked in my house in fear, you can though. You’ll lose the bet because you’re wrong about the service men who died comparing them to the Covid virus deaths.You think that the idiot leader we have now is competent, hahaha, this dumb ass doesn’t know what days it is or who he even is. Trump fixed in 4 years a lot of Obama’s 8 years of screw ups. He did for EVERY AMERICAN regardless of color, male or female or party affiliation. The faster you and the rest of the Dems realize that the better we will all be. Stop being so angry because your Candidate couldn’t do anything good for AMERICA. Obama divided this country and Trump started to bring us back together, just so idiot Joe can divide us again and in record time may I add. So when you have something substation to prove that this country is better off now then when TRUMP was in office, I suggest you crawl back in you hole and keep your dumb comments to yourself.
PERIOD.
Joey Callo
September 4, 2021 at 11:19 am
Tr , Did you write your reply while intoxicated? You think the USA has the largest population in the world? Wow! I’m supposed to reply when I have something substation to prove. Wow again. Orangehead was a flaming trainwreck going over a cliff. trump ran up 7 trillion in debt mostly BEFORE covid. He butchered the covid response. He gave astronomical tax cuts to the ultra wealthy and showered $$$ on the bloated military budget. Doing so is a recipe for fiscal disaster. trump is a disgusting racist. Pull your head out of you know where you brainwashed, gullible cult member.
TR
September 4, 2021 at 5:37 pm
That’s all you got? Maybe your the intoxicated one. All Presidents run up the debt. It just depends on what. I don’t see spending money on the military is a bad thing, they are to protect our arses no matter what. Your facts are wrong about the way Trump handled the covid crises, that was your dumbass in the WH now. I think you need to look up the meaning of a racist. Because clearly you don’t know the meaning. Obama & Michael where the biggest Racist this country ever had in the WH. Like I stated before, Trump did a lot of good for ALL AMERICANS, and not just a few. He didn’t care what color, or what gender anyone was. He had the lowest unemployment in the history of the U. He created the largest amount of jobs in the US. He had the most people voting, but the dems stole the election (don’t think you’ll ever admit that though) So maybe your the one with your head up your know what.
I’m done talking to an idiot that has to refer to name calling because your brain dead leader is ruining this country.
I’m gone. Hahahahahahahahahahaha
TR
September 4, 2021 at 10:59 pm
One more thing Joey, I probably should have said that the USA is one of the most populated countries. However, here something for you to look up. Find out the top ten countries in the world with the most people in them, how many have had covid and how many of them have died from covid. Because don’t forget this is a world wide pandemic. Oh and another question, What in the hell does any part of your posts (except for maybe the first sentence in your first post) have to do with the cancelling of the festival? Oh that’s right, nothing. I guess you just wanted to attack someone who has a different opinion than yours. Hahahahahahahahaha
Joey Callo
September 7, 2021 at 5:22 pm
TR, We have the most cases and deaths by far of any country in the world. Therefore, we have no business holding superspreader events like the aforementioned festival. We had vaccines and the so called best health care in the world and failed miserably. I don’t blame the healthcare workers, they ARE heroes. I pity them dealing with dumb, brainwashed republicans like you. This is due to trump and fellow republicans inept, ignorant response to covid. They politized it like fools. What a bunch of selfish losers.
TR
September 7, 2021 at 5:57 pm
More comment with no proof. Your the looser and the rest of the left wing idiot democrats. Oh btw I’m not a republican.
Joey Callo
September 7, 2021 at 8:59 pm
TR, My dog has forgotten more about covid than you’ll ever know. And she’s a mutt who’s not particularly bright.
TR
September 8, 2021 at 10:35 pm
So that makes your dog smarter than you. I’m done talking to you idiot.