After the annual Bonfire Block Party in downtown Eagle was cancelled in May of 2020, Bonfire Brewing planned a weekend of live music in July at the Eagle County Fairgrounds. Days before the live music was planned, this event was cancelled too. The event was set to host Funky Times All-Star Band led by Robert Randolph, a former headliner to the event. With spring COVID-19 cancellations already haunting the summer, this came as a huge shock and disappointment to many.

“This one was a big disappointment for us,” shares Amanda Jessen, co-owner of Bonfire Brewing. Even amidst the pandemic, Bonfire was hopeful they could still throw a little something for the residents in Eagle, Colorado.

Jessen was working with a team of people ensuring all the hoops had been jumped through, including strategic plans that allowed for new COVID-19 health guidelines. Jessen and the Eagle County staff worked for several weeks in attempt to execute a two-night show, with a max of 500 attendees each night that separated into four sections.

“Unfortunately, our hopes and excitement were dashed,” Jessen explains, “as Eagle County reversed their decision just two days before the event, forcing us to cancel.”

In cancelling the events, she also explains how chaotic it quickly became. “The process by which Eagle County commissioners handed down their decision was hasty, reckless and disorganized,” she explains, “and caused us to lose tens of thousands of dollars unnecessarily.”

According to Jessen, Eagle County experienced a moderate surge in COVID-19 cases over the preceding month, and the commissioners felt the risk of spread was too great to allow the Block Party to continue as planned. She still feels they could’ve run the whole situation differently, as she found out the event was canceled via newspaper and no direct contact from the county.

“Understandably, the decision-makers during this uncertain time are in a difficult position. But if our community and our society at large hope to weather this storm, we need our elected officials to demonstrate an abundance of communication and transparency,” she stresses. “We still care about safety; we planned the event based solely on what the county wanted us to do, then they changed their minds at the last minute.”

Jessen isn’t the only one in Colorado dealing with changes and canceled plans due to the COVID-19 crisis. Tom Boyd, director of public relations for the Vail Valley Foundation, has experienced similarities of the turbulent event industry.

“It was like a mosh pit there for a while,” Boyd explains. “Like everything else, everything’s tightly scheduled, all those schedules have been thrown out the window, so now they need to be reassembled.”

Boyd talks about the GoPro Mountain Games and what a large adjustment that’s been this year to not hold that event. “It’s definitely exercised my mind in ability to adapt and also to collaborate,” Boyd explains.

Photos courtesy of the Vail Valley Foundation

He also discusses the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater’s adaption to the new event systems and cooperation with fellow venues and the community of Vail. His hope is to lead by example for more venues across Colorado and into the future of the industry.

“We like to think at the Ford Amphitheater, were showing what the future can look like,” shares Boyd. “The model that were operating now is not sustainable, but it’s a way forward we can continue to apply these same rules and grow and hopefully someday be approved to have more people in the venue.”

Of course, with successes, there comes a massive support from the city and people of Vail and Boyd is extremely grateful for that. “We’ve had all our shows sell out extremely quickly, large waitlists,” Boyd says. “We’re doing everything we can and everyone’s extremely grateful.”

The amphitheater was able to host socially distant movie nights and more. Boyd stresses the importance of keeping the arts alive during COVID-19. With the future seemingly bleak, the arts are one thing that tie us together as a community.

“I think in the long term, I do think it’s essential,” he says.

While people are struggling and life in 2020 has hit hard, Boyd emphasizes the need in keeping the arts an essential business.

“We’re finding a way to keep humanity in our community alive,” he shares. “I think the arts are an essential part of being human.”

COVID Cancellations Rock Colorado’s Event Industry