Roots N Blues Festival partnering with health care providers for vaccine clinic ahead of event
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Roots N Blues Festival will host a vaccine clinic in partnership with local health care providers ahead of its September festival.
The festival will also require proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test for admission.
Roots N Blues will take place at Stephens Lake Park on Sept. 24 through 26. In a typical year, Roots N Blues draws thousands to the park, but it was canceled last year due to the ongoing pandemic. On Thursday, the festival announced via social media it will continue with the in-person event this year with more strict protocols.
A vaccination clinic called "The Return to Live Music" will be held at Rose Music Hall on Aug. 21. Roots N Blues, MU Health Care and Columbia/Boone Public Health and Human Services are working together to put on this event.
"This clinic that's coming up at Rose Music Hall, like our other clinics, is really just making sure that vaccines are accessible, and making sure that we're going to where people are instead of them coming to us," said Sara Humm with Columbia/Boone Public Health and Human Services.
Everyone who gets vaccinated at Rose Music Hall will be entered into a drawing for a live music package valued at $1,000. The prize includes VIP passes to Roots N Blues and concerts at The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall. Vaccines are free and no appointment is necessary.
The Columbia music mainstay joins a national growing list of festivals requiring vaccination or test proof. Most recently, Lollapalooza was held in Chicago and had similar requirements. The Associated Press reported 203 positive COVID cases resulted from the festival, which the Chicago Health Department said was to be expected. The health department determined the music festival was not a superspreader event, because only about 0.05% of attendees contracted COVID.
"Now, 14 days post, as I said, we've had no unexpected findings at this point," said Dr. Allison Arwady with the Chicago Public Health Department. "There's no evidence at this point of a superspreader event."
The massive Bonnaroo festival in Tennesee also announced this week that it will require proof of vaccination or a negative test.
To gain entry to Roots N Blues, festival-goers will have to present a valid government-issued ID and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within the past 72 hours. The festival recommends all attendees get a COVID test whether or not they're vaccinated.
"We trust health care professionals," the festival said in a press release. "The health of our community is our first priority. The safest way to enjoy live music right now is to be vaccinated against COVID-19."
For a vaccine to be valid, festival-goers need to have received their final dose of Moderna or Pfizer or their single dose of Johnson & Johnson no later than Sept. 10.
Amy Schneider, director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the total economic impact of Roots N Blues in 2019 was $2.7 million.
"As with any event we bring to Columbia, we stress that the economic impact is beyond the festival itself," Schnieder said in an email. "When visitors travel they spend money on gas, food, lodging as well as the event they are traveling to, which has an overall positive effect on the entire economy."
