JULY 4th OUTDOOR CONCERT at THE VINEWOOD
The Vinewood, located at 2848 SE 29th St. kicked-off their outdoor summer concert series June 27 with unique social distancing measures in place.
“Really enjoying outdoor (well-distanced) live concert tonight,” wrote Bill Persinger on a Facebook post. “Oceanside Hotels just finished with Lily B Moonflower to follow soon. Matthew Francis (Cleveland Blue) are slated tonight as well!!!”
EFFECTIVE JULY 2 AT 12:10am
An Emergency Order of Local Health Officer has been issued for Topeka and Shawnee County beginning Thursday, July 2 at 12:01 a.m. This proactive public health order is issued to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the Shawnee County community.
The Vinewood takes the health of our guests, staff, community and self seriously. We preemptively put safety strategies in place in order to provide a safe environment in which Shawnee County residents could come enjoy live music and community outdoors on the historic property. These guidelines, combined with a few additional measures, will be strictly enforced July 4, 2020 (and until further notice) to adhere to the Emergency Order. These include but are not limited to all staff wearing masks, unique seating to ensure social distancing, and stringent cleaning of facilities. These measures are outlined in detail on the following pages with reference to the Emergency Order.
We invite any Shawnee County resident to join us on July 4th (and other concerts scheduled this summer) for some great music and community. The number of attendees is limited, so please reserve your “house concert spot” online ASAP at TheHistoricVinewood.com. THE MEDIA IS INVITED
On July 4th, doors open at 4pm with music beginning at 5pm. Musical performances from The Mahan Band, Velvet Blues Revue and Mark & The Sharks.
No outside food or beverages are allowed. You must be 21+ to consume alcohol and must have your ID on your person at all times. The Shack, which shares a parking lot with The Vinewood, will offer a limited menu available via phone purchase and for pickup in the parking lot. Food from The Shack is permitted inside the concert area. Guests who would like to enjoy the concert from inside or next to their vehicles may do so with the purchase of a general
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admission ticket. Absolutely no alcohol may be consumed in the parking lot, and is restricted to the event grounds.
Fireworks, weapons, pop-up tents, grilling, etc are prohibited in the parking lot and inside the event grounds.
Guests should bring their own lawn chair or blanket for seating. The show is All Ages and tickets are $8 per person (youth 12 and under are $5). Tickets should be purchased in advance at TheHistoricVinewood.com
All guests should be from the State of Kansas. The Vinewood has authority to refuse entrance of any persons with symptoms of illness. People with symptoms shall not be allowed to remain in the premises. Guests who do not adhere to the facility rules and social distancing guidelines set forth by The Vinewood and in requirement from Shawnee County Health will be asked to leave and are not warranted a refund.
Safety reminder signs, clearly marked lines for social distancing and audio reminders will be provided throughout the event. Security will be on site in addition to an emergency station located inside the building.
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Since 1889, The Vinewood has been the backdrop for community events and gatherings of assorts. It is our intention to continue this tradition and help Topekans make memories for a lifetime. We understand these parameters make for adjustments for our guests and staff, but we are confident that by working together we are stronger, healthier and happier. We look forward to seeing your smiles (six feet apart) at The Vinewood this Fourth of July.
SAFETY MEASURES - addressing restrictions and requirements set forth for Shawnee County
● No open dance floor
● Guests will be assigned to a concert square. Squares vary in size to accommodate households. People are not to “mix” squares and should refrain from “entering anyone’s home.”
○ See seating chart on last page. This chart shows adopted measures to respect requirements for social distance and mass gathering size for customers.
● Masks are to be worn by all staff
● Masks are to be worn by all guests while moving about the facility (e.g. going to the bathroom, getting a drink, etc.) Masks do not have to be worn while sitting in “concert box”
● People with symptoms shall not enter or be allowed to remain in the premises
● Sanitation will be located throughout the premise. Staff will sanitize hands between tending / contact with customers
● Cash bars onsite. The Vinewood has intentionally set pricing to mitigate the amount of contact between wait staff and guests. Guests are encouraged to bring small bills ($5, $10 and $20) and an ATM will be onsite (and sanitized between uses).
○ $1 bottled water or soda | $3 or $4 cans of beer, hard seltzer and margarita popsicles | $6 rum runner (served in a plastic cup with lid and wrapped straw) | Bucket of beers are encouraged for guests over the age of 21+ - decreasing amount of trips to the bar (cost $15 - $20 pending)
Outdoor and indoor events shall be limited to no more than 2,000 participants, or 50 percent of the total capacity of the venue after social distancing and mass gathering rules are applied. 2
Organizers shall enact necessary measures to respect social distancing and mass gathering rules (i.e., attendees shall not be congregate in groups greater than 45 unless they are separated by 6 feet or more)
Concert blocks have been outlined with spray painted and are located on concrete (the main concert area is atop what was once tennis courts) and are set to maintain social distancing. Within the chart created, 92 guests plus performers and staff may be accommodated creating an average of 9 feet of personal space per guest. This equates to 45 percent of total capacity for the area with total capacity defined as 6 feet of social distancing per person, adhering to guidelines set forth by Shawnee County. The main concert space is a total of 9,360 square feet.
Behind the main concert area, as defined by the concrete slabs, sits an additional 10,000 square feet of open grass area in which guests may sit and still be in visual and audio view of the concert. This area has not been pre-plotted with boxes. If persons choose to sit in this area, they will be asked to define their area by placing their lawn chairs or blankets. A member of The Vinewood staff will then chalk line that area and measure six to eight feet on all sides,, indicating the closest distance another guest(s) could sit.
We understand these additional seating measures may take a bit more time upon arrival. We encourage all guests to purchase tickets online, in advance, and define their preferred seating location. We will work diligently to adhere to those, creating an almost-VIP / assigned concert seating experience. For those who do not purchase in advance, we encourage you to arrive as early as 4pm, when doors open.
The show is all ages and we understand that on July 4th the number of youth in attendance may be higher than normal. For those who want to run around, play frisbee and such, an additional 10,000 feet is then located behind the grass concert area and wraps behind The Vinewood. Guests will be allowed to run, stretch, play, etc in this area but will be limited to 45 guests at a time. Dogs are allowed but must remain on a leash and are only permitted in the grass areas of the property. Owners are responsible for clean-up after dogs, for keeping them on a leash and respectful of all attendees. If an issue arises, the guest and dog will be asked to leave. Dogs will not be permitted to remain in any car without their owner under any circumstance. Dogs are not required to purchase a ticket.
Guests who do not purchase tickets online, in advance, will be asked to fill out a manifest upon arrival and admitness. Information required is full name, phone number or email address, number in party and zip code. This information is for internal emergency purposes only. With the precautions and implementation of safety measures at The Vinewood, we don’t anticipate an outbreak or cluster occurring. However, we understand that transmission by people in large gatherings make routine case-finding and exposure tracing strategies insufficient, thus increasing the already strenuous pressure and threat of life and health. Therefore, this manifest will be used and provided to Shawnee County Health authorities if needed in order to accurately, efficiently and swiftly trace any persons if applicable.
We understand these restrictions and measures seem like a lot, but we also believe in the power music and community to strengthen our mental wellness, the power of fresh air for physical wellness and the power of monetary influx for the wellness of local businesses and professional artists. The Vinewood July 4th Bash and Outdoor Summer Concert Series answer these needs.
