Flagstaff Lifts Limits on Outdoor Crowd Sizes

Outdoor events like the Flagstaff Star Party soon will bring people together again in Buffalo Park and at other outdoor city properties without capacity restrictions.

Courtesy photo

No Limits

Event organizers rejoice and get busy as Flagstaff lifts crowd size restrictions

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

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