The warmer weather has really been hanging on in Dorrigo, warding off the cold and letting the flowers, positive thoughts and hopes linger just a little longer.But, it is with heavy hearts The DF&BF Inc Committee, like many other festivals and events, has made the tough decision to cancel this year’s 19th Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival and the 4th Dorrigo Old-Time Music School, scheduled for late October 2020.The impact of COVID-19 is much more widespread and long-term than anyone could have anticipated, so please forgive us as we take the time to process the extent of the damage on us, the music industry and, well, everything. Industry-wide people are without work; fellow festivals have been forced to cancel, venues are shutting their doors.  This all means we are unable to support the musicians, who would normally be on tour, which covers their costs and supports them, and this in turn of course affects other industry roles such as sound technicians, stall vendors and media and infrastructure crew. A lot of people have been in this same position in the last 2 to 3 months, and we have been saddened to watch this happening. We still can’t find the words to describe how we are all feeling, but we believe we have to stand in solidarity. It’s a long and unknown road forward, which can be frightening, but knowing that we will eventually gather again amongst the open arms of music and other creative arts is enough to see us through.We will always be dedicated to running the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival with its well-known quality and integrity, but because of the incredible current circumstances this year, we will instead be focusing our energies on providing a different kind of support for the music industry. We are going to persevere with making music to honour the Festival weekend, and while we can’t say exactly how that is going to work at the moment, we’ll let you know as soon as possible because we want you to be there with us. If you are reading or hearing this, you are in one way or another involved in this music community. Musicians, event organisers, volunteers, stall holders, sound technicians, media crew, patrons and any other contributors/supporters; we love and appreciate you all. We look forward to embracing you in our festival family again soon.Please consider donating to Support Act – who are providing crisis relief and mental health support for artists, crew and music workers affected by the COVID-19 closures and shutdowns.