Annual Beaufort sandbar concert canceled after officials raise coronavirus alarms
Organizers of a popular summer concert on a Beaufort sandbar have canceled the event after local officials raised concerns the gathering would further spread coronavirus.
The fifth annual Beaufort sandbar concert was planned for July 18 after receiving a permit from S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Musician Pat Cooper said in a Facebook video Wednesday he’s canceled the event because of the COVID-19 surge in South Carolina.
“Nobody’s more disappointed than I am,” he said in the video.
The concert has drawn hundreds of people who crowd a barge in the Beaufort River to listen to live music for hours.
The prospect caused local officials to raise alarms as coronavirus numbers set daily records, cities and towns pass rules requiring masks in public and other large events such as the Beaufort Water Festival have been canceled. Coronavirus cases are still on the rise, especially in younger people, state health officials have said in recent days.
“They are among the highest concentration of people, at that younger age, that are being infected,” Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said. “One can only assume it’s because they’re not social distancing, they’re not wearing masks and they’re turning this into something like a hurricane party.”
It’s unclear whether the event would have been allowed to continue under Gov. Henry McMaster’s emergency orders. Cooper said Thursday he had been in regular contact with DNR officials but ultimately decided to cancel the event because of the health concerns.
McMaster said Wednesday that concerts and spectator sports are still prohibited under one of his executive orders and might remain off limits if people don’t wear masks and avoid large gatherings. Law enforcement might not be there to break up a prohibited event when it occurs, but those responsible could still be criminally prosecuted later, McMaster said.
McMaster ordered in March that law enforcement can break up events of three or more people if they determine the gathering threatens public health.
The sandbar concert has been a summer hit that coincided with the Water Festival in recent years though it is not sanctioned or organized by the festival. Boats anchor out around the sandbar, people pack the water and beverages flow as opening acts set the floating stage for Cooper.
Cooper posted to Facebook on June 8 that he had received DNR permission for the event and that it was still on. The post had been shared more than 1,500 times as of Wednesday.
A marine permit is required any time 20 or more boats are expected to gather, DNR spokesman David Lucas said.
Keyserling said he had spoken with state lawmakers and city staff about how to discourage the concert. He said the governor should consider a separate mandate specific to the event if the concert had moved forward.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 12:24 PM.
