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06/25/2020 12:00 AMOld Saybrook residents will again have the opportunity to enjoy free concerts and films on the Town Green this summer, with some precautions to ensure people are socially distancing.
While still free, attendance at each event is currently limited to 100 and tickets must be reserved in advance—beginning seven days before the event—through the Parks & Rec website oldsaybrookrec.com. Each ticket must be ordered in the name of the person planning to attend and will be checked in at the table, according to Parks & Rec Assistant Director Jonathan Paradis.
“We’re just following the state guidelines,” Paradis said by phone the day before the first concert, on June 25 by Take 2 and Call Me in the Morning, for which there were only 10 tickets remaining.
Like all Friday summer concerts, it will begin at 7 p.m. On Wednesday evenings, concerts will start at 6:30 p.m. The first of these, by Green Hill, will take place on July 1.
A portion of the green will be cordoned off and only those who have reserved their tickets will be permitted inside. Each household unit will be expected to socially distance (remain six feet away) from others.
Residents are allowed to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and refreshments—although alcohol and smoking are not permitted—and everything that’s brought in must be “packed out,” said Paradis.
Knowing the names of everyone attending the concert has the added benefit of being able to assist with contact tracing should that be necessary, he pointed out. Contact tracing is a measure whereby public health officials determine where an infected person has been since becoming infected and who was there simultaneously, allowing officials to track down and inform those who may have been exposed.
Parks & Rec staff will be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep them safe, as well, according to Paradis.
Typically, summer concerts have around 300 people in attendance, he said. The limited number will provide the space to allow groups to remain at a distance from others.
The first film of the summer, The Secret Life of Pets 2, will screen on Saturday, June 27, at 8:30 p.m. The film is rated PG. At the time of writing, there were around 38 tickets reserved for the event, which Paradis assessed as more than usual as compared to similar timing in previous summers.
“In years past, we’ve never gauged attendance before a show,” he said. “It’s a good start.”
Summer movies are sponsored by Child and Adult Orthodontics and concerts by Guilford Savings Bank. Complete schedules and ticket reservations may be accessed at oldsaybrookrec.com.