Stern Grove Festival to give free vaccines
Stern Grove Festival organizers plan to offer free COVID19 vaccinations from noon3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 8, to attendees of its upcoming show featuring headliner Thundercat.
Attendees age 12 and older, who must already have a reservation to the soldout show, can choose between getting the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The shots will be administered in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and will be available to attendees even if they are not Kaiser Permanente members. There is a 15minute observation period after getting the shot.
Festivalgoers who get the vaccination will also be offered the opportunity to reserve their spot for thefestival’s last show set for Aug. 29 (those who opt for Pfizer will be able to receive their second dose of the vaccine on that date). That concert’s lineup includes Bay Area favorites Tower of Power and rapper Too Short.
“We saw an increased need with the overall, very recent, rise in COVID19 cases in California, especially in relation to the new delta variant. So, we reached out to our partners at Kaiser Permanente in order to come up with a plan to help,” said festival Executive Director Bob Fiedler in a statement.
Stern Grove plans to further encourage vaccinations with incentives such as ticket giveaways.
Organizers first announced plans to bring back Stern Grove in May, after canceling 2020’s season due to the COVID19 outbreak, stating they would implement new guidelines as the region continues to navigate the pandemic. Among the changes included a reservationonly attendance policy to help reduce the number of people at the outdoor concerts.
The festival is allowed a capacity of 10,000 people, but organizers said they are only expecting 50% to 60% of that for this weekend’s performance.
The free summer festival series kicked off its 84th season on June 20 with performances by Grammy Awardwinning Oakland singer Ledisi and San Francisco singersongwriter La Doña.
The next concert will be headlined by the neosoul outfit Fitz and the Tantrums on Aug. 15.