As organizers of some major local music shows and festivals have decided to cancel for the second year in a row, others are proceeding, cautiously yet optimistically, with a handful of outdoor events and scaled-down versions.

Some of the big cancellations and postponements include Country Summer Music Festival, which normally attracts 30,000 fans and was last held in 2019 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. In March, organizers announced that the festival, already moved to this Oct. 23-25, would be postponed again, until June 17-19, 2022.

The Santa Rosa-based Railroad Square Music Festival, which features local and regional musicians, was canceled this year and last. The festival is set to return in 2022.

In addition, Live at Juilliard, a beloved local event for nearly 20 years at Santa Rosa’s Juilliard Park, was canceled for this year but is set to return in 2022.

However, Tara Thompson, arts coordinator for Santa Rosa, said the city will make a final decision in December about the festival based on “conditions from here on out.”

But other music events are still on for this year, and those that are ongoing have been attracting audiences throughout the summer. Among them is the weekly Tuesdays in the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, which started in July and wraps up Aug. 31.

Although some events remain tentative due to the potential for another COVID-19 shutdown, outdoor event organizers are mainly hopeful.

“These events bring some sort of relief to people after being in isolation for so long,” said Matt Milde with Healdsburg’s parks and recreation department, which oversees the event in Healdsburg’s Fountain Square Plaza. “We’re here to celebrate having the health orders work in our favor and being able to continue the series. It’s very refreshing.”

In typical years, the event usually ushers in 800 to 1,000 people each night, but that number is smaller this year due to residents’ worries about the coronavirus spread, he said. The event is usually held for 14 weeks but instead was planned for 10 weeks this year.

In June, when Boston developer WS Development purchased Montgomery Village shopping center, known for its annual outdoor live concert series, many local fans questioned whether the series would continue. It did, though as a ticketed fundraising event rather than a free event.

“We’re relieved that we continued this long-standing tradition that means so much to so many people in our community,” said Brittany Mundarain, general manager of Montgomery Village. “We’ve had to work creatively. I’m uncertain what will happen next, but we’re remaining optimistic and prepared for new (pandemic) guidelines. We need to be nimble.”

Mundarain said they’re already planning for next year’s concert series.

This year, Montgomery Village presented one series of five concerts, which wrapped up on Aug. 26 with a performance by Kalimba, a tribute to the band Earth, Wind and Fire. When the last live concerts were held at the shopping center in 2019, 41 concerts were spread out among three series.

In Cloverdale, Mark Tharrington, program manager of Cloverdale’s Friday Night Live concert series, noted obvious changes to the series including fewer food vendors and an emphasis on local and regional bands rather than those from farther afield.

Though many organizers have deemed their events successful, they all noted bracing themselves for potential new pandemic guidelines.

“We need to be flexible and we’ll just need to wait and see,” Tharrington said. “We’re trying to go with the flow until we get more guidance from the health department. People are wondering, what happens next?”

Here’s a look at outdoor music events offered for the rest of the year:

Cloverdale’s Friday Night Live: This upbeat event features genres including soul-jive, electric blues and funk. Friday Night Live is held every Friday from 6 - 9:30 p.m. in the downtown plaza in Cloverdale. The concert series is free and open to the public. It runs through Oct. 1.

Alongside the live music is a street fair which includes food and drink, handcrafted arts and crafts, bounce houses for the kids and rock climbing. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. Attendees aren’t required to show vaccination cards upon entering for this event.

Peacetown Series at The Barlow: This festival celebrating music, art and nature takes place from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday through Sept. 8. at The Barlow in Sebastopol. Grab a few beers and hop around to various stages set up at surrounding restaurants and breweries, at Blue Ridge Kitchen, Crooked Goat Brewing, Woodfour Brewing and Fernbar, Community Market and HopMonk. Free. peacetown.org/2021-summer-celebration

Huichica: Up-and-coming indie acts, artisan regional wines and local culinary talent converge Oct. 15-16 at Gundlach Bundschu Winery. Tickets: $125-350. For more information, visit gunbun.com

HopMonk Tavern: Live music shows are held every weekend at all four of HopMonk’s locations across Sonoma County. HopMonk features solo local musicians and bands across all genres. Visit hopmonk.com for the schedule.

Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 48 hours beforehand is required for ticketed shows. All outdoor shows held at the Sebastopol and Sonoma locations are free.

Healdsburg’s Tuesday in the Plaza: This free series in Healdsburg Plaza offers a lineup of eclectic and unique bands at the Plaza Park from 6 - 8 p.m. through Aug. 31.

Stories can inspire you, make you laugh, cry and sometimes, heal. I love a feature story that can encapsulate all of those things. I cover the interesting people that exist around us, art and music that move us and the hidden gems that make Sonoma County pretty cool. Let's explore those things together.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: