Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Postponed fest in ‘wait-and-see’ mode
Tortuga Music Festival still set for October as COVID-19 continues
In mid-March, the coronavirus threat forced the 2020 Tortuga Music Festival to be postponed until Oct. 2-4. Could anyone have predicted that, such was our lack of discipline, even those dates might be too ambitious?
Fort Lauderdale’s signature live-music festival is still on track to take place on the beach in about 10 weeks, led by country stars Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw. Tickets can still be purchased, beginning at $138 for a single-day pass, $239 for three days and $1,240 for three-day VIP accommodations.
But as the COVID-19 bonfire continues to burn across South Florida, and as local governments tighten social interaction, with a return to shelter-in-place rules possible, no 2020 event is guaranteed.
Tortuga Music Festival founder Chris Stacey is optimistically cautious.
“At the moment, we are still in ‘wait-and-see’ mode,” he said on Tuesday. “As you know, the facts, statistics and regulations are evolving daily. We are monitoring them in real time. The health and safety of our fans comes above all else.”
All of the original 2020 Tortuga performers are currently scheduled to take the stage in October for the eighth annual country-music and ocean-conservation festival. The event has drawn as many as 30,000 concertgoers per day.
This year’s eclectic lineup boasts the festival’s first female headliner in Miranda Lambert, as well as Miami hip-hop icon Pitbull, top-selling singer Kelsea Ballerini and bro-country favorites Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen, Lee Brice, Chris Lane, Cole Swindell, Jordan Davis, Billy Currington, Riley Green and LoCash. Visit TortugaMusicFestival.com.
With Tortuga kicking it off, October is a month that includes several other popular events that draw thousands of visitors from
South Florida and beyond. That they take place mostly outdoors may help keep them on the schedule as the fight against the virus continues.
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the largest in-water boat show in the world, is “moving forward as planned,” opening its five-day run on Oct. 28. The show will follow “official government and local authority guidance” on social distancing and disinfection protocols. Masks will be required. Visit FLIBS.com.
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach is open but has suspended large gatherings until October, when its
Lantern Festival, a perennial sell-out, will take place on Oct. 17. Member presale tickets go on sale Sept. 14, with general-admission tickets on sale Oct. 5. Prices: $20, $12 ages 4-10. Visit Morikami.org.
The South Beach Seafood Festival is scheduled for Oct. 21-24, and details are still coming together. Based on last year, more than 15,000 people can be expected to hit the sand along a four-block stretch of Ocean Drive for food and drink, live music, culinary demonstrations and more. The event, which the Travel Channel has called the best seafood festival in the country, benefits nutrition programs in Miami-Dade County public schools. Tickets start at $27.50. Visit SoBeSeafoodFest.com.
On the minus side of the equation, Oakland Park’s beloved Oktoberfest collaboration with the Funky Buddha Brewery is off for now. All such large citysanctioned gatherings are “suspended until further notice,” said Cristina Curry, Oakland Park special events coordinator. Visit OaklandParkFL.gov.