STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — A yearly holiday tradition will be back in Stevens Point this year with some new safety guidelines in place.
Wednesday evening the Stevens Point Board of Park Commissioners heard from Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Director Dan Kremer about the safety protocol draft for 2021’s Riverfront Rendezvous. After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City is planning for a modified event following outdoor mitigation guidelines.
Kremer says the department has been working with City Staff and the Portage County Health Department to put together the procedures and plan draft. He says conversations for the plan so far have focused on those mitigation protocols. “The biggest element is as much social distancing as possible for people outside your household.
“In addition to increased cleaning frequency of the touchpoints. Having a mask when you have to be within 6 feet. Going through and having hand sanitizer stations, signage, announcements. Voluntary information and informing if you don’t feel well and stay home,”.
The plan for Riverfront Rendezvous has multiple social distancing measures including spacing out food tents for longer line spacing, removing the food seating tent in favor of outdoor picnic tables, smaller beer garden tents that only include those working, and having specific RVs for each performing act. Kremer says the department will also be painting seating pod lines in the grass for multiple outdoor events.
“What we’re planning right now is to paint from Crosby Avenue to the river at like 8-foot increments from the main stage all the way south. And to freshen those each week because we do have several other events that would utilize it. And then by not doing the verticle lines it allows say a family of 8, or a group of 7, or a group of 6, to be in a pod. And then the next group can social distance off of them.
“That way if you have a group of two you might be able to be closer because your not as far verticle or horizontal. So basically one-way lines and after that first week or two if we notice boy we need some references every 10 feet or something the other way we’ve talked about say hash marks or travel lanes. And then the last piece of that is we do need to have a travel lane say in front of the bandshell through the middle of the crowd,”.
The event’s COVID procedures and plan are currently in draft form to allow for any potential changes with different Health Department guidelines. With current vaccination models looking well Kremer says there could be some changes as it gets closer to the event in July.
Along with discussing the current plans for Riverfront Rendezvous, the Park Commission approved an outdoor concert of the SPASH School Band on May 26th in Pfiffner Pioneer Park. Riverfront Rendezvous will be from July 2nd to July 4th with the potential lineup likely to be announced later this spring.
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