Prairie Street Live / Staff photo
A new outdoor venue has reopened for the summer season, with new policies and restrictions for the new normal we are all currently facing.
Prairie Street Live opened for business last fall, closed for the winter season, and just when they hoped to reopen were met with a a global pandemic this spring.
“Trying to reopen during the pandemic is a bit challenging with the rules and regulations changing as well as determining which category we fall under since we aren’t like any other business in the area,” said venue owner April Lee “We filed a plan with the ADH so we could operate at 1/3 capacity and that went really smoothly.”
The venue, located just off the Razorback Greenway at 509 W Prairie St. in Fayetteville, has regrouped, however, and is planning a series of events this weekend.
The new series of events this weekend will kick off with a screening of the Richard Pryor film Toy on Friday night on the venue’s 300-inch screen, followed by a viewing of The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at the Monterey on Saturday, and a crawfish boil on Sunday.
Prairie Street Live opened for a test run last weekend, as patrons watched a Talking Heads concert on the venue’s 300 inch screen in the grass.
“The Talking Heads event went really well especially considering it was a holiday weekend. All of our customers were extremely happy with the event,” Lee said. “They said the layout for social distancing was well planned & executed and they were excited to be outside and doing something that no other businesses are able to do in the area because of our large outdoor space.”
The event was not without challenges, however.
“The main complaint was being forced to wear face coverings until they had a drink or food in front of them,” she said.
Instead of typical concert seating, the venue has been divided in 10′ squares on the grass that are sold for $20 for a group of up to four people that have been quarantining together. There are designated walkways for staff taking food and beerage orders, and additional staff working to sanitize restrooms. New hand sanitizer stations have been added near the front entrance and on the back deck as well.
“We are offering buckets of beer, bottles of wine & champagne to help decrease the customer/wait staff traffic to and from the bar, but we still have full bar service,” Lee said.
All of the new measures are geared toward providing a safe environment for customers, the owners said.
“Our customers safety is my highest concern,” said venue co-owner Blake Hannahs. “I know that face mask are hot & no fun to wear, but they drastically reduce the chances of spreading this disease. Anything we can do as a business to be open and cut down on the spread of COVID, we are going to do so that we can continue to offer a place to entertain movie and music lovers in northwest Arkansas!”
Events at the venue are planned through July, with movies on Friday, video concerts on Saturday, and crawfish boils on Sundays while they are in season.
For a bit more information about events at the venue, visit facebook.com/prairiestreetlive.
