Downtown Tempe Cancels 6th Street Sunday Market

Tempe AZ

07 January, 2021

6:04 PM

Description

TEMPE, AZ — A downtown Tempe staple has been canceled for this spring amid a surge in coronavirus cases that has made Arizona a global hot spot. Downtown Tempe Authority, which runs the 6th Street Market, announced the cancellation in a news release Thursday and said it was due to Gov. Doug Ducey's Dec. 3 executive order. The order prohibits events of over 50 people unless the city, town or county can assure safety protocols are in place. "The market hopes to return to 6th Street Park in the future and we look forward to hosting our local artists, makers, and food creatives," the organization said in a statement. "While we are disappointed by this cancelation and still believe this event to be vital to the community, we believe public health is paramount to anything else and cannot produce events around the City's current imitations." It is unclear if the city of Tempe determined the event did not have adequate safety precautions in place. The Downtown Tempe Authority did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment on the matter. Arizona reported 9,913 new coronavirus cases and 297 deaths Thursday, according to data from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Market enthusiasts can still support local businesses by visiting the 6th Street Market Vendor Directory on the organization's website and shop virtually for flowers, art and other goods. The Downtown Tempe Authority is a non-profit organization that works with the city of Tempe to increase its value.