Engaging and Entertaining the Public During COVID Times By Alisa Zimmerman, Arts & Culture Manager, Thornton Parks, Recreation & Community Programs
The City of Thornton has presented free outdoor summer concerts for decades – one of many cherished traditions the community has come to expect from the city’s Arts and Culture Division of the Thornton Parks, Recreation & Community Programs (TPRCP) department. These popular concerts have entertained thousands of residents and visitors with lively performances by bands from around the region on consecutive Thursday nights from June to August. An added perk are the annual Ice Cream Socials when elected representatives host four concerts in parks located in their respective wards. Each of these hyperlocal outdoor events allow councilmembers to talk with their constituents in a relaxed and fun setting that lends itself to frequent and close contact each evening. When COVID-19 hit this year, Thornton, along with other Front Range communities, seriously considered whether to offer these annual concerts. Along with ever-changing guidelines from the CDC and state health department,
10 • Colorado Byline | Summer 2020
staff questioned the viability of bringing together a limited number of people on a weekly basis in one location while having to incorporate and monitor Covid safety measures with new logistical requirements for each concert. It would be a heavy lift, not just on these nights, but in all publicity generated on all channels prior to each concert along with hiring more onsite staff to ensure the COVID event capacity was not exceeded and patrons wore their masks and kept their distance. Despite these challenges, Thornton decided to go ahead and offer these summer concerts with modifications: present them all in one location versus several parks; design a grid for large and small groups to be seated safely distanced; use an online reservation system (Eventbrite) for residents to pre-register for concert seating while adding additional drive-in listening options; increase online publicity and onsite signage plus create a new video to communicate our S-A-F-E message (Stay six feet apart, Always wash hands, Face mask on, and Exit if feeling ill); and repeat all this Covid
