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Man, oh man!  As far as COVID-19 related cancellations go - when it rains, it pours!  Unfortunately for those of us who are vaccinated and ready to party Louisiana-style this fall and winter - it's currently storming, and the forecast is calling for an increasing chance of festival and event cancellations in the very near future.

The 2 latest victims of the most recent rash of cancellations tied to the uptick in COVID-19 cases are the beloved and highly anticipated Scott Boudin Festival in south Louisiana, and the renowned Louisiana Catfish Festival.  Both of these gut-bustingly delicious affairs were poised to "round" out the year and really pack on some winter pounds, but it looks like we will once again miss out on these delectable fêtes in the name of public safety.

Scott Boudin Festival

The announcement about the 2021 Scott Boudin Festival getting the ax came with a heavy heart yesterday.  Although technically Scott Mayor Jan-Scott Richard and Boudin Festival Association President Daniel Noel's letter to the sponsors of the event frames the move as a "rescheduling" of the deep-fried festivities originally planned for September 24th-26th - no new date has been announced.  According to the Advocate, officials made the tough decision after consulting with the Louisiana Department of Health and the Scott Police Department in order to protect the public from a potential "superspreader" event.

Louisiana Catfish Festival

Yet another chance to gather and feast on some of Louisiana's finest and most famous dishes has been snatched away from us thanks to this latest surge of COVID-19 in the Bayou State - this time, it's catfish.  The 45th-annual mouth-watering Louisiana Catfish Festival held in Des Allemands has been mostly cancelled to keep people from gathering in great numbers and possibly spreading the virus responsible for holding the human race hostage for more than a year now.

The report from KATC details the silver lining organizers there have arranged for catfish lovers.  In place of the giant party, a giant drive-thru will give patrons their fill of fried catfish or shrimp platters and po-boys or boats.  Sweet treats will also be available for folks to sample from the safety of their car away from the crowds on September 18th (the original date of the festival).

While these cancellations are sad, they are most certainly just the beginning.  Unless the strain on hospitals abates and vaccination numbers rise sharply, we may be throwing our mini versions of our favorite fall festivals in our living rooms (again).

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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