After careful consideration and consultation with specialists in public health and civil security, the Corporation du Festival des couleurs de Rigaud and the City of Rigaud confirm that th 2020 edition of the Festival of Colors in Rigaud has been cancelled.
(Photo Pierre Brasseur)
The cancellation of the 23rd edition of the Festival of Colors in Rigaud is closely linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. At no time does the organizing committee wish to endanger the safety of volunteers, the many festival-goers, members of the organization and the Rigaud community. In that respect, all activities planned on the territory of the City of Rigaud from October 10th to 12th are therefore cancelled.
Important consequences
Last year, the Festival of Colors in Rigaud had its peak year in terms of attendance. Christine Lévesque, general manager of the event, mentions that in 2019, 52,400 festival-goers attended the event, which took place over three days.
«I don’t have exact figures for the economic spinoffs, but in event management, we’re talking about $ 7 in expenses per festival-goer, says Mrs. Lévesque. This is a huge loss to the local economy. The Festival of Colors in Rigaud is the biggest event to take place in Vaudreuil-Soulanges.»
The festival administrators would like to thank the population for their understanding, in addition to thanking the many partners of the event for their greatly appreciated support, including the City of Rigaud, a major partner of the festival.
“Unfortunately, we know that the cancellation is also a loss for our employees and for many merchants, explains Christine Lévesque. Hotels and restaurants are usually full during the festival. Before making the decision to cancel, we had discussions with an expert consultant in pandemic risk management. It would have been too difficult to manage and to have some control, because thousands of people would have gathered in Rigaud.”
Mrs. Lévesque is still optimistic. Although the festival will take a break in 2020, if the situation allows, it will make a comeback in 2021. However, the 2020 edition could still be present, but virtually in the not too distant future. “We are studying the possibility of having a virtual event, said the general manager. It could be released later in the year so as not to create a rally.”
