SYDNEY, N.S. — December 23 was supposed to be the 14th year for the annual John Gracie Christmas Concert in Wentworth Park but thanks to COVID-19 concerns, the holiday event has been cancelled for 2020.
Concert organizer Andree Gracie’s voice quavered as she spoke to the Cape Breton Post about what the concert means to her family.
“It’s emotional because Cape Breton means a lot to us,” Gracie said. “We both had that memory of going to the park way back when it was an annual visit for families — John said he would drive in with his parents, you’d look at the lights and walk through. There was something truly magical about that.”
When repairs were being made to the park bandshell, the Gracies decided to do their part to bring the holiday spirit back to Sydney's downtown Wentworth Park by staging an annual concert there. It didn’t get off to the warmest start.
“When we first did it they were working on the bandshell — we did the first concert on the other side of the park, coming off Kings Road there going on the Esplanade and it was the coldest night,” said Gracie. “My father was in his late 70s at the time and had a snowsuit on — the wind was coming straight off the harbour. It wasn’t exactly what we had wanted so we suffered through that first year and then the next year we got to the bandshell.”
The concert attracted people from all ages and demographics and Gracie is optimistic that once the pandemic is over, they’ll be able to resume the holiday tradition.
“I don’t like to break tradition because sometimes it then disappears so I’m hoping that people and sponsors will have it in their hearts to want us to return when it’s safe to do so,” she said. “It’s very difficult to social distance. It’s just the right decision to cancel. And John wants people to know that we’re concerned about everyone’s health.”
