ST. LOUIS — Winterfest in Kiener Plaza was canceled Friday amid a surge of COVID cases in the greater St. Louis area.
Winterfest organizers said the event would not open again for the season. It was scheduled to continue through Sunday. This closure includes the New Year's Eve celebration that was slated for Friday night.
The Gateway Arch Park Foundation that hosts Winterfest cited guidance from the St. Louis City Health Department and the St. Louis Regional Pandemic Task Force that urged people to stay home.
"We are very disappointed that we are unable to hold this event for our guests and supporters," the news release read, "But we know it’s the right decision based on the information we have today."
Attendees and exhibitors will be contacted for full refunds, organizers said.
The City of St. Louis this week recorded the highest seven-day average positivity rate of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic at 24%.
Tests have been difficult to come by during the holidays with some people waiting for hours.