BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Beckley Events Committee held a meeting this afternoon to discuss upcoming events at the New River Park.
Members of the community, local business owners, and event planners met to discuss the faith of many Beckley events that were set to be held at the New River Park. According to Director of Beckley Events, Jill Moorefield, most events are expected to go on but will be reduced in size.
“We’re just excited to be able to offer something, you know it’s going to be smaller events. We just encourage people to be safe. The Health Department and the mayor told us to be cautious, and we’re going to do that,” said Moorefield.
The next upcoming event, Fridays in the Park, will be held at Word Park on 17th.
Beckley Events Committee shares July Event Updates
2020 has been a difficult year for event planning, but Beckley’s Events Committee hopes to begin offering a few small events this month.
Fridays in the Park will begin on July 17 at Word Park on a tentative basis. A few food vendors will be open from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm in the parking lot. Abbreviated concerts will be featured at the gazebo from 12:05 (after the church chimes) to 12:45 pm. Music on July 17 will be presented by Chloe Florence and Bryce Painter. Attendees are encouraged to social distance or wear a mask. The food vendors and event staff will follow the outdoor event and dining guidelines. The current picnic tables located in the park will be spread out around the park. Hand sanitation stations and masks will be available. On July 24, Driftwood, a duo consisting of Darrell Ramsey and Dave Hicks will perform. According to Jill Moorefield of Beckley Events, “If the first two Fridays in the Park go well and if the positive COVID cases don’t rise too much and attendees follow social distancing or masks, the committee hopes to offer more of the Fridays in the Park through August. The Health Department and the Mayor cautiona us to be very careful, and we hope attendees will cooperate so that we can have more events this year.”
Neighborhood Car Cruises – The committee has decided to skip offering a car cruise on July 11 and is concentrating on hosting an event on July 25 – the date originally scheduled for the City’s Cruise-in Car Show. The event will consist of a vehicle line-up downtown (by Word Park and along Neville Street) between 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Neighborhood cruise-themed dash plaques will be distributed. Vehicle owners are asked to bring a couple of canned food items to be donated to United Way food pantries as an entry. Jim Snyder will provide music at the gazebo from 5 to 6 pm. The neighborhood cruise will leave downtown at 6 pm to drive along Kanawha Street and on a few nearby streets. Car owners and visitors are asked to social distance and/or wear a mask to help ensure the event is safe for all.
Uptown Tailgate Farmers Market – WVU Extension Office and Meadows Farm may open the farmers market sometime in July. They are currently reviewing the guidelines required for markets.
A new event in August – Drive-in concerts at New River Park is being planned for a couple of Saturday evenings in August. A few food vendors will be set-up at the park from 6:30-8:00 pm. Music will be provided by David Cook & Quite Enough (80’s band) on August 1 and George Whittaker on August 15 (tentative). The one-hour concerts will take place from 7-8 pm. The first 50 vehicles will be allowed to park in the 100 parking spaces around the large grassy area, making it easy for social distancing to take place. Attendees can watch and listen safely from their vehicles or truck beds, or they prefer to bring a chair to sit beside their vehicle or social distance in the large grassy area.
Plans for future events, such as the Appalachian Block Party, Kids Classic Festival and Chili Night, will be decided in August. If any of the events are able to happen, they will be different from past years. For more event information, follow “Beckley Events” on Facebook or call 304-256-1776.
