Decatur Book Festival announces it's taking a year off
Decatur Book Festival in downtown Decatur
The Decatur Book Festival has announced that it is taking a break in 2023 but plans to return in 2024.
The announcement was made on Monday on their website on Monday.
The festival, which also featured live music, parades and cooking demonstrations, attracted as many as 80,000 attendees in previous years. It was one of the largest independent book festivals in the country, according to its website.
The festival began with an idea in 2005 and the first festival took place in 2006. Over the years, it brought more than 3,500 authors to the City of Decatur to meet book lovers of all ages.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the festival to go virtual in 2020 and the festivals in 2021 and 2022 were reduced a few small events on single days.
In addition to the pandemic, safety concerns have also led to changes for other popular festivals in the Atlanta area.
Music Midtown canceled its enormous festival last year at least partly because of its fear that it would be unable to enforce its no-gun policy, according to other sources.
The Sweetwater 420 Fest announced last month that its large outdoor music event would move from Centennial Olympic Park to the Sweetwater Brewery because of safety concerns.
Candler Park Music Festival also just announced that it would not return for 2023. However, it did not give a specific reason and hinted that it may return.