'Beyond Our Control': 2021 Uptown Air Fair Canceled

MINNEAPOLIS — The 2021 Uptown Art Fair has been canceled, the Uptown Association announced Tuesday. Organizers said they were "unable to overcome several unanticipated challenges and events that are beyond our control."

The annual fair is typically held at the intersection of West Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue. It was scheduled to open on Aug. 7.

Organizers said they were unable to find a "safe and welcoming space" for artists and guests.

The unrest related to the June 3 police killing of Winston Smith Jr. played a role in the cancelation, Jill Osiecki — the Uptown Association executive director — told the Star Tribune.

In the weeks following Smith's death, a protester was struck and killed by a vehicle in Uptown, not far from where the fair would be held.

A general rise in crime in Uptown was also a factor.

At one point, organizers considered moving the fair to an alternate location, a few blocks away in "greater Uptown."

"However, despite our collective best effort, we were unable to reach a consensus among the many stakeholders it takes to successfully put on an event of this size and scope," the Uptown Association said.

"Because of multiple evolving issues and the logistics of a large-scale event, it was not executable."

The 2022 Uptown Art Fair is scheduled to open on Aug. 5.