SOUTH BEND, Indiana – The annual South Bend Symphony Orchestra concert at Potawatomi Park has been canceled.

The St. Joseph County Community Foundation and the orchestra made the joint announcement Thursday.

The concert was scheduled for August 29 but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We would love to be able to continue the concert as usual,” said Laura Moran Walton, director of public relations and communications for the Community Foundation. “But we are concerned for the safety of the musicians of the Symphony Orchestra and the safety of our audience. We always draw a big crowd for this particular gig, and unfortunately now is just not a good time for big crowds.

Organizers say the event typically draws more than 1,000 people to the park.

“The Community Foundation Performing Arts series is a feature of the summers in St. Joseph County, and we will miss it dearly this year,” said executive director of the Justus Zimmerman Symphony Orchestra. “As the number of cases increased in the county, we weren’t sure we could offer a safe experience. We serve the people of this community first – there was no other responsible decision to be made.

They plan to present the Community Foundation’s Complete Performing Arts Series in 2021.