"There is only one way out of this, and that is together," the organization's statement said. "Please, #getvaccinated, #maskup, #socialdistance until we get this in check again.”
The annual parade scheduled for Aug. 14 had been planned for months, the statement said. The nonprofit Austin Gay and Lesbian Pride Foundation will work with sponsors, participants, partners and community stakeholders to respond to the new surge in delta variant COVID-19 cases, the announcement said.
"Pride organizations across the nation are suffering the same heavy blows," said Micah Andress, the president of the foundation, in the statement. "But we are determined to stand strong."
The decision followed Austin City Limits Radio announcing it is postponing Blues on the Green free concerts that were scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11 due to the COVID-19 surge.
Waterloo Greenway postponed its opening day celebrations and ribbon-cutting ceremony due to COVID-19's local spread. Waterloo Park will still reopen to the public to explore without planned events.
As delta cases surge and Austin Public Health announced only two available intensive care unit beds for the Austin area, Austin City Limits Music Festival faced calls to cancel, including a Change.org petition to cancel the festival that had garnered 300 signatures by 2 p.m. Aug. 11. Stevie Nicks dropped out as the festival's headliner Aug. 11 and decided to cancel all of her scheduled concerts in 2021 due to rising COVID-19 cases. Hours later, ACL announced that Tyler, The Creator and Duran Duran had joined the lineup.
