Brooklyn Boro

Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival now requires proof of vaccination

The latest in a wave of events tightening up vax safety

August 17, 2021 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
Share this:

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, which has been presenting outdoor concerts at the Bandshell in Prospect Park since 1979, announced Tuesday that attendees will need to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of a show in order to gain entry to the festival. 
 
The decision comes after music festivals across the nation, including SummerStage in Central Park, have rolled out similar protocols in response to the increase in COVID-19 infections and the rise of the Delta variant. The number of new COVID-19 cases in New York City on Aug. 16 was 2,139, up from 1,019 on July 17 and 231 on June 17 of this year. 

Under a new city policy, which went into effect on Monday, venues such as restaurants, catering halls, hotel banquet rooms, bars, coffee shops and indoor fitness centers now require proof of vaccination. However, until recently, outdoor venues were thought to be reasonably safe. 

“While BRIC remains committed to creating open and accessible musical experiences for all of New York City, we must also ensure the safety of our staff, our audiences and the communities that we serve,” said Lia Camille Crockett, executive producer of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. 

“We wholeheartedly believe that coming together for live cultural events is one of the most important ways for us to heal and move forward. This extra layer of protection is what we need right now to create an environment that is safe for us all,” she said.

Among the upcoming Celebrate Brooklyn! concerts are “Celebrate Biggie,” with performances by Busta Rhymes and Lil Kim, on Aug. 19, a showing of “In the Heights” on Aug. 26, Korean singer Keiji on Aug. 27, indie rock collective San Fermin on Aug. 28 and others. The season ends with jazz and funk musician Trombone Shorty on Sept. 18.
 
For free BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! shows, children ages 2-12 who are unable to be vaccinated do not have to present a negative test to attend but must remain masked at all times. Some ticketed benefit shows, however, have a different testing policy, which can be found on individual show pages. 
 
BRIC also recently announced that the return of JazzFest in-person at BRIC House at 647 Fulton St. from Oct. 21 to 23 will also require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours.

For more than 40 years, BRIC (originally the Fund for the Borough of Brooklyn) has presented and supported artists, creators, students and media makers.





Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment