Club Getaway won't be returning to TV this year
Last year, Bravo aired a new reality show called "Camp Getaway," which was filmed and set at the adult summer camp Club Getaway in Kent.
The show premiered during the pandemic, and while owner David Schreiber said business certainly did not boom in 2020, he did see a difference since the show aired. Namely, people came from as far as California when typically campers would mainly come from the northeast corridor.
But Club Getaway only saw about 10,000 guests in 2020, as compared to a typical year which would see about 70,000, he said.
“Club Getaway and social distancing are complete polar opposites," Schreiber said about his camp, which is all about socializing and interacting with new people. But with safety protocols in place, he said the camp "made it through the pandemic COVID free. We’re here; we’re thriving," he said.
This year, things will look a little different. For one, there will be no show airing on Bravo — and Schreiber said he does not know what the future holds in that regard.
"With what's going on, the idea of having a smaller group here and cameras — I don’t feel comfortable," he said. "It's been a whole new world since the pandemic, so if we're going do a new show, there would be a lot of talking."
Opening weekend 2021 for Camp Getaway is Memorial Day weekend, and the season will kick off with a "holiday rewind" party to celebrate all the holidays that were missed in 2020. It will begin with a New Year's Eve bash and balloon drop, followed by an ugly sweater Christmas/Hanukkah party, a Valentine's dance, St. Patrick's happy hour and more.
"It's celebrating something with other people —old friends and new friends — and celebrating being social again and moving forward. That’s the bigger theme of what we’re doing," said Schreiber.
Another anticipated event his year is Camp Hollywoof, a weekend during which campers can bring their dogs.
Those who register for a weekend at Club Getaway this year will need to either show proof of vaccination, a recent negative COVID test or agree to an on-site COVID test. In the early summer months, the nightclub will be closed and other indoor activities will be on hold. Schreiber said the camp will consider protocols on a month-by-month basis and hopes more indoor activities will be available come July.
A Ridgefield resident, Schreiber said he has seen first hand the influx of New Yorkers and other newcomers into Connecticut. Because of this, Club Getaway has shifted its marketing efforts from heavily targeting New York City and Boston to looking more to the suburbs and rural parts of Connecticut where people are moving — particularly for the family weekends, he said.
"It's an incredible boom we're experiencing in Connecticut," he said. "People need to meet friends in the area. You are developing a social network at Club Getaway."