Press Release 08/05/2020 – Special Events Guidance
Special Event Guidance
Discussions with recent event organizers have highlighted the need to share guidance regarding holding a special event during this time in a manner that complies with the Governor’s Executive Orders and Orders issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE). Guidance on the requirements can be found at https://covid19.colorado.gov/safer-at-home/outdoor-events .
Staff with the City of Alamosa and the County Public Health Department have worked hard to help event organizers understand the orders and to explore creative ideas to help comply. The City recognizes that the ability to have a safe event during this time is valuable and something that we all want. Through discussions today with organizers for the Alamosa Round-Up, it became clear that the requirement for face coverings was something that would prevent the event from happening at the City Fairgrounds.
Heather Brooks, City Manager, shared, “We love working with Dawn and her team for the Alamosa Round-Up, which is a key event for our community every year. I greatly appreciate the time Dawn spent on thinking through the different ways to change operations in order to comply and their willingness to still put the event on with dramatically lower ticket sales. Today, Dawn shared that she was not comfortable having to potentially ask attendees to leave if they were not complying with the face covering requirement. Knowing that we have some in our community who do not agree with the public health orders and who have refused to wear face coverings means that organizers must be willing to ask them to leave in order to ensure compliance. If an organizer is not comfortable enforcing the mask requirement, we simply cannot grant the special event permit or rental of the facility.”
As a long-time sponsor for the event, the City remains a supporter of the Alamosa Round-Up and looks forward to future years where restrictions will not prevent the event at the Fairgrounds. We are appreciative of the effort that organizers put into trying to meet the State requirements, but their choice to not enforce the face covering requirement in a manner that would comply with orders designed to protect public health prevented the event from moving forward at the Fairgrounds. The City did not have any further requirements beyond compliance with the Governor’s and CDPHE’s Orders.
Ms. Brooks also shared, “I think as our local organizers are thinking of their events, they are most likely not realizing that one of the requirements is the use of face coverings, especially if the event is outdoors. Given the current climate, some organizers may not want to organize an event knowing that ensuring compliance from the public will be challenging.”
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The City of Alamosa is a multicultural community of 9,000+ centrally located in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado. The City was incorporated in 1878 and is the gateway to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve where more than 525,000 visitors enjoy Colorado’s natural beauty each year. For more information, visit us at www.cityofalamosa.org.
