BeefDip Bears Week cancel its January festival and reschedules for 2022

 

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BeefDip, which takes place annually in the Mexico resort of Puerto Vallarta, has announced that it will not be going ahead in January 2021. The festival is one of the best known gay bear events in North America. It attracts festival-goers from all over the world but particularly the U.S.

It usually takes place at the end of January. The 2020 event went ahead as planned, just before the COVID pandemic began to take hold. Yesterday, organizers announced the January 2021 event will not go ahead.

Related: 16 photos of bear beauty at BeefDip in Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta

“As we all continue to navigate our way through these challenging times, we at BeefDeep Bear Week have made the very difficult decision to cancel our International event this year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It has not been an easy decision for us to make, however it is the most responsible one at this time,” it said on Facebook.

“We are aware that BeefDip has had a tremendous economic impact on Puerto Vallarta over the past seventeen years bringing in millions of dollars over the week-long event and has provided over a hundred thousand dollars in fundraising revenue to local community organizations.

 

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“We have looked at every possible alternative to canceling this year, however, based on the number of patrons BeefDip brings into the community for the week it is impossible for us to comply with the COVID restrictions at hotel, restaurants, bars, etc., and most importantly keep our patrons and residents of Puerto Vallarta safe … we cannot consciously take the risk of holding a potential ‘super-spreader’ event in the community.”

The statement ended by saying the event will return in early 2022. It was signed by the organizer, Steve Buczek.

Related: Sex in pool leads to gay-friendly Puerto Vallarta beach club being fined

The majority of people to comment supported the decision.

“I will miss it for sure but I appreciate this decision. I think it’s very responsible and definitely makes me trust you guys even more. See you in 2022!” said one fan on Facebook.

 

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The city of Puerto Vallarta has the sixth-highest rate of COVID in the state of Jalisco. Last week, its mayor implemented new measures to help stem the rate of transmission, including closing the beaches at 3pm daily and restricting many businesses from operating beyond 8.30pm in the evening. These restrictions will last until November, 13, at the earliest.

The announcement of BeefDip’s postponement follows a similar announcement from Arosa Gay Ski Week in Switzerland, which was originally scheduled for January 23-30 2021 but has now been bumped back to 2022.

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