No Limits

Flagstaff Star Party organizers are used to a platform with no limits, as stargazers explore the expanding universe from Buffalo Park each fall. But since the pandemic began, their ability to share the starry night sky in person with thousands of residents and visitors has been eclipsed, until now.

It appears COVID-19’s meteoric streak of closures and cancellations may be dissipating in a cloud of cosmic dust as restrictions begin to ease on actual space the pandemic soon may be allowed to take up. The universal shift is being felt in Flagstaff as the City Council has voted to lift attendance limits for special events on city property beginning July 1.

“This direction provides event planners the guidance necessary to start planning now for events this summer and fall with no attendance restrictions, but does keep the requirement that producers follow CDC guidance for COVID mitigation,” said Flagstaff Public Affairs Director Jessica Drum.

With the announcement, a wave of optimism has rippled through the town, as festivals, celebrations and parades launch into hyper-speed to get back on course.

“As an event planner, COVID has been devastating to my industry,” said Flagstaff Blues and Brews Festival founder Jennifer Grogan. “We have been shut down for over a year, and I’m not sure how much the public understands the trickle-down effect of that closure. It’s not just us who are suffering, but our rental companies, food vendors, fencing companies, porta johns, musicians, the list goes on and on. We also bring a lot of tourism dollars to Flagstaff, as our attendees book hotel rooms and eat out while they are here.”

Grogan and others have been engaged in conversations with City Councilmembers about ways to minimize the impact. “It was a great win a few weeks ago when council looked at the Farmers Market as a necessity instead of an event. We also wanted to emphasize that having no restrictions indoors, like in a Walmart, but having restrictions on outdoor events, in a larger space, just didn’t make sense. I appreciate the City Council’s discussion and I appreciated it when councilmembers spoke about us as experts in our field.”

Although Grogan already had canceled the Flagstaff Brews and Blues Festival this June for the second consecutive year, she is working with the Orpheum Theater to bring in a much smaller blues event on June 12. “It will be an afternoon into the evening event. I’m trying to get four, possibly five, bands.”

Noting that public safety is “always top-of-mind for event planners,” even without a pandemic, she says the blues gathering will include mask wearing, sanitizing and socially distancing. “This theater can hold over 1,000 people, but this event will only be for 250,” she said, adding that she’ll be renting the outdoor side space to provide more room.

Meanwhile, coming up quickly is the Fourth of July. Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Julie Pastrick is ready to cue the marching bands in grand Independence Day tradition.

“The Greater Flagstaff Chamber and Pepsi are excited to bring our Fourth of July Parade to the world for the first time in 2021! People can attend in person, or live stream the parade at home via our Chamber Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!” she said. “Our community’s diligence, commitment to vaccinations, and our rural nature has us in a great position today to host the parade in downtown Flagstaff on Saturday, July 3. We’re grateful the mayor and City Council realize the importance of bringing the community together safely, and the significant positive impact outdoor summer events have on our community.”

On Saturday, July 24, Theatrikos Theatre Company, which has been dark since March 2020, is preparing to reopen with performances of “Native Gardens” at The Arboretum at Flagstaff.

Looking ahead to the fall, the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition is planning to bring out the stars. “We are thrilled that we will be able to share Flagstaff’s inspiring night skies at the Flagstaff Star Party in Buffalo Park, Sept. 30 through Oct 2,” said FDSC Board Chair and astronomer Chris Luginbuhl. “There are few experiences more awe-inspiring than seeing ancient starlight that has traveled trillions of miles before falling into your eyes!”

Nearby, tourism destinations like Lowell Observatory are keeping a vigilant watch on the evolving COVID-19 situation. Director Jeff Hall says he is hopeful the facility will be admitting more small groups of visitors soon. “We are using the CDC phasing criteria, advice from local experts and estimates of immunity levels to determine when we can advance to our Phase 3A, which will begin our return to general admission and larger crowds. We hope to reopen fully as soon as possible, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Mars Hill at that time.”

Event planners will continue to consider COVID-19 safety measures as mission critical, but for now it appears Flagstaff events are cleared for taking off. FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN