Summer events schedule under review
With uncertainties that have been created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is difficult to tell how summer events will shape up in El Dorado.
Several local events have been canceled or postponed this spring and planning for late-spring and summer events remains tentative.
An annual, local event will go on as planned next month, and Main Street El Dorado expects to make a decision this week about its summer events.
Local business owner and concert promoter Michael Jackson, of Mr. Mike’s Productions, recently announced that the 19th annual Soul Fest is on tap for June 13 at the Union County Fairgrounds.
As its name suggests, Soul Fest showcases soul music, along with southern soul, blues, R&B, funk and more.
Headliners for the 2020 show are Bigg Robb, Jeter Jones and J-Woww, all popular names on the blues and southern soul circuit.
Featured performers include R&B Pooh, Wild Cowboy, P2K, Blues Boy Bo, West Dawn and DJ Big Daddy In Da Mixx — all popular regional artists.
Jackson previously said he was ready to begin promoting the show in early March, noting that fliers highlighting the headliners, ticket information, etc., had already been printed by then.
Once state officials instituted public heath guidelines that placed restrictions on large gatherings and entertainment venues, indoor and outdoor, to help stem the spread of COVID19, Jackson said the fate of Soul Fest 2020 briefly hung in the balance, noting that he had heard about other local events that had been canceled in March, April and May.
However, rather than immediately canceling Soul Fest, Jackson said he decided to wait the situation out and earlier this
month, he announced plans to move forward with annual concert.
“The show is still going on and, hopefully, the trend toward the epidemic will be gone around that time. People want to get out and this will give people something to do,” Jackson said at the time.
Similar situation
Main Street El Dorado is facing a similar situation.
Having canceled its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Shamrockin’ on the Square, and a revival of Bugs, Bands and Bikes, the group has said scheduling for its summer events, including the Summer Concert Series and Showdown at Sunset, remains in flux.
Bugs, Bands and Bikes — which highlights crawfish, live music, motorcycles and motorcycle culture — had run for 15 years before it was rebranded to the Southern Folk Festival in 2014 and then canceled, reportedly due to waning participation from bikers.
The reboot of BBB was initially set for April 18 but it was rescheduled to May 9 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Last month, the MSE board of directors made the disappointing decision to pull the plug on the festival this year to protect public health and safety.
Days after the cancellation, Beth Brumley, executive director of Main Street El Dorado, said the group is hoping to get back on track with the events that are planned for the remainder of the year.
Jackson, MSE and event promoters across the world kept a close eye on what was considered the first high-profile live-music show that was held since the COVID-19 quarantine went into effect in the U.S.
Travis McCready, southern-rock and country singer, performed May 18 to a crowd of about 200 people at Temple Live in Fort Smith.
The concert had originally been set for May 15, but state officials said the event did not meet public health standards that were related to COVID-19.
The show was rescheduled to May 18, the same day gaming casinos were allowed to reopen in the state.
According to a BBC report, Temple Live had to adjust its concert plan to require all employees and audience members over the age of 10 to wear face coverings and performers to maintain a minimum distance of 12 feet from the audience.
The crowd capacity for the show had been reduced to 239 in the 1,100-seat facility.
Attendees also had to undergo temperature screenings that were conducted at the door and maintain social distancing requirements.
Concert-goers had to sit in clusters, called “fan-pods”, while other large sections of the venue were roped off to audience members.
The McCready show was an indoor event. Soul Fest and the Summer Concert Series/ Showdown at Sunset are outdoor events.
SCS and Showdown are scheduled for June 27, July 25 and Aug. 22.
Brumley said MSE is also tracking the 2020 opening of Magic Springs to aid in its decision about whether to move ahead with its summer events.
The theme and water park in Hot Springs is set to open for the season June 1.
Per the Magic Springs website, the park will open under a plan that has been approved by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has mandated that the park follow “re-doubled” and rigorous sanitizing and social-distancing protocols and the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines that allow for 30 percent capacity in the theme park and 50 percent capacity in the water park.
“If they’re able to do that, we should definitely be able to do the Summer Concert Series for July and August. So it’s looking good. They’re going to open June 1. We’ll have a decision by (May 29) for the Summer Concert Series,” Brumley said.
She said MSE is still not sure about the June installment of the summer events, noting, “In order for us to focus on June, we’ll have to be at least that far out to put musicians and everything else on hold.”
The summer events are free and open to the public.
For more information about summer events, visit the Main Street El Dorado Facebook page and website, www.mainstreeteldorado.org.
To purchase tickets for Soul Fest, call Jackson at 870-866-7441.