The 2021 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival due to be held at William S. Hart Park in April was postponed on Wednesday by city of Santa Clarita officials due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the second year the festival has been postponed due to the ongoing health concerns for performers, visitors, volunteers, vendors, and staff, with city officials hoping to return to an in-person celebration in 2022.

Instead, the city plans on holding a month-long celebration of Western history and culture through a variety of events and entertainment in April permitted by the health officer order.

The Cowboy Festival is a large-scale community event that brings thousands of residents and visitors to William S. Hart Park in Newhall.

Each year, the festival allows Santa Clarita to celebrate its rich Western roots and heritage, according to Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda.

“This was a very cowboy, Wild West-oriented town when it got started, but the Cowboy Festival also highlights the fact that we were one of the most profuse generators of movies in the Western genre,” Miranda added.

While he too is disappointed the city cannot celebrate its Western roots as it has for nearly 30 decades through the festival, Miranda said it’s for the best.

“It’s very sad, but we understand the reasons,” he added. “We don’t want to spread the virus any more than it already has spread. We want to keep all our citizens safe — that’s our primary concern.”

This alternative Cowboy Festival event series is set to be announced by the city in the coming weeks.

For more information about the postponement of the 2021 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival, contact the city of Santa Clarita’s Arts and Events division at aeo@santa-clarita.com.