Festival organizers wrestle with fast-changing COVID restrictions

SAN FRANCISCO - Summer concerts at Stern Grove will end on Aug. 29, with the band Tower of Power taking the stage.

The free music concerts started in June. Organizers limited capacity this season and implemented other measures to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID.

But for the public, such events are all about people's own comfort levels.

"I feel safe in outdoor situations. Most people are accustom to personal space," said Brad Sween of San Francisco.

"We don't know what we don't know. It's definitely staying on the safer side to cancel outdoor events," said Andrew Higashi, also of San Francisco.

The organizers of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass agree.

SEE ALSO: San Francisco threatens to suspend city employees who don't disclose vaccination status

They announced Thursday that after consulting with COVID safety advisors, the live three-day event scheduled for October at Golden Gate Park will now be held virtually for the second year in a row.

A statement on the festival website reads, " We can’t waver from our mission of providing the safest and most magical musical environment, with all the care and consideration for our festivalgoers and artists, that has been at the heart of hardly strictly for over two decades."

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Outside Lands is still set to happen at the end of October at Golden Gate Park.

But there may be a catch, as with other upcoming events in San Francisco.

"The goal is to require proof of vaccination for events that have 5,000 or more people in an outdoor environment. So we are working with promoters of these large-scale events," said San Francisco Mayor London breed.

UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter chin hong suggests people wear masks at crowded outdoor events even if they are vaccinated.