Ashland, Oregon: Oregon Shakespeare Festival has closed until early April

This is going to to hit the arts community hard

I'm involved in a local animal rescue (equine) non-profit and we hold our annual fundraising event on the first Saturday in May. Likely going to cancel. That's a huge chunk of our annual budget (we need about $1,000 per day) and we're considering options.

I can donate here and there to various causes, but it would be a drop in the bucket.

Everyone will have less money and charitable organizations will be hit hard.

Everything will work out, the community loves you!

South Medford.

If you are ever interested in a personal tour of the barn and an introduction to Frida, Arlo, Steele, Casper et al, let me know.

I’m from Medford but now live in northwest Washington. We decided that it would be best to stay put but, hey, if you’ve got toilet paper...

And they were travel related from overseas. This is largely proactive precaution.

Governor Brown has banned any gatherings over 250.

One of the reasons we’re staying away is because we are from the hardest hit state so far. It looks like the virus was rampant in Washington for weeks before the public became aware of it. Ironically, we were on a cruise to New Zealand when it really started spreading here. That and our heightened awareness may have spared us. I hope so.

for the local economy.

Was a "tart girl" at the festival (was around 13).

My sister visited last year. She said it has completely changed.

What measures is SOU taking? (SOC way back when)

I know all these closures are necessary, but will be so devastating.

My mom was saying the other day that she thinks the magnitude will be bigger than anything she has lived through (and she lived through WWII). A truly life changing crisis.

My only hope is that we come out of this with a more acute understanding of how much we must rely on each other. I hope enough people recognize that "we can't afford" universal health care and things like basic income is crap. We can't afford NOT TO.

Although I understand that Oregon and Oregon State are doing online classes only.

Concerts etc. have been cancelled.

We have lived here for only 11 years. Moved up from California in 2009. We love the valley, but miss the diversity of the Bay Area.

I worked in Medford two years ago and decided to check out Ashland one weekend.

Even though the Shakespeare festival wasn't going on at the time a lot of their businesses were modeled on the Shakespearean theme.

So it will have a huge impact. We will see what happens as this crisis unfolds.