Downtown Lynchburg Association has announced that they are canceling this year's Get Downtown festival originally scheduled for September 11.

Instead, a virtual Downtown-a-Thon will be held online, streaming from the Academy Center of the Arts from 9 am to 9 pm on July 30. They hope to raise $50,000.

From the Downtown Lynchburg Association:

Lynchburg, VA - Downtown Lynchburg Association (DLA), the producers of Get Downtown, have canceled the 2020 Get Downtown event, originally scheduled to take place on September 11, 2020. Cancelation is due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns and governmental recommendations for restricting large gatherings in order to prevent community spread.

"While we are saddened that we will not be able to produce this fantastic community event, we know the safety of our citizens, vendors, entertainers, and downtown businesses is the priority and that cancelation is ultimately the responsible thing to do,” stated Ashley Kershner, Executive Director of Downtown Lynchburg Association. “Get Downtown is Lynchburg’s signature community street festival, and although we are heartbroken, we are already looking forward to a fantastic event in 2021.

In lieu of this event, Downtown Lynchburg Association is inviting the community to support Downtown Lynchburg on July 30th as we host Downtown-a-Thon - a 12-hour old-school telethon to benefit our Downtown Recovery Initiative. The Downtown Recovery Initiative includes projects and programs aimed at supporting Lynchburg’s small businesses as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions, including the Downtown Lynchburg Gift Card program public art installations, marketing and promotion, and more.

For more information on Downtown-A-Thon and the Downtown Recovery Initiative, visit the DLA website at downtownlynchburg.com.

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