Roots N Blues Festival kicks off Friday in Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Roots N Blues Festival is back in Columbia this weekend.
Gates to the festival's stages at Stephens Lake Park are scheduled to open Friday at 4 p.m. Events are scheduled to happen through Sunday night.
Roots N Blues organizers canceled last year's festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are several precautions in place at this year's festival to keep guests and staff safe. MU Health Care plans to provide hand sanitizing stations and at least 20 handwashing stations.
The number of people allowed to attend this year's Roots N Blues Festival is also reduced.
Festival organizers plan to space out bar areas and vendors to allow for guests to social distance. Attendees will be required to use the festival's contactless wristband payment system.
Guests will also have to provide either proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a recent negative test in order to attend Roots N Blues.
The parking lot next to Roots N Blues will be limited this year.
Attendees are encouraged to park downtown or to use the free shuttle service. Six shuttles labeled "First Student" will run from the downtown parking garages to the festival.
Parking in downtown garages is free after 6 p.m. Friday and all day Saturday and Sundays. Festival goers will want to watch out for parking spaces marked 24 hour enforced.
The shuttles will start pick ups at 3 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The shuttle service will run until the festival is over each night and pick people up in the parking lot of Riechmann Pavilion to take them back downtown.
Festival attendees will need to also remember not to block streets, driveways or park on private property.
