Joe Jesus’s 50s Night Canceled in Downtown New Bedford for 2020

WBSM announced the return of Joe Jesus' 50s Night event last April. Dawn Mahler, Joe's granddaughter, knew there were very big shoes to fill as she coordinated the beloved event, free and open to the public of all ages for the SouthCoast. She did a wonderful job of honoring Joe's memory and sending downtown New Bedford back in time. The community loved coming out to see the classic and antique cars on August 22, 2019. Some even got dressed up for the occasion, with poodle skirts and leather jackets. We were all happy to see Joe's legacy live on.

Sadly, the novel coronavirus prevents us from letting 50s Night go on as scheduled this year. What would have been the perfect July night in a family-friendly atmosphere, can no longer be considered safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event draws too many people from all over and there is no way to safely practice social distancing measures downtown with that kind of crowd.

“Ensuring the health and safety of our community is critical during these unprecedented times," said Mahler. "Although we have decided to cancel the event this year, we hope to make 2021 even better! Thank you to all who continue to support this beloved tradition and honoring my grandfather."

While New Bedford will miss both 50s Night and the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament this summer, we look forward to their return next year.