Mark the date on your calendar and get ready to rock – Saturday May 23 will feature the first of its kind for Prince George – a drive-in concert experience. Residents will have the opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy a unique concert event, all while maintaining physical distancing.
The band will play from the roof of the local Canadian Tire, while patrons watch from the comfort and safety of their car in the parking lot below, or via live stream online. The event is structured in a typical drive-in style format. Patrons will arrive in their vehicle, they will stay inside the vehicle during the event, and then drive away when they are ready to leave. Patrons will be required to stay in their vehicle throughout the duration of their stay and must comply with all laws and government/health orders.
Event organizers have done extensive work to prepare a plan for the site to accommodate vehicles so they can both see the performance, as well as meet the physical distancing requirements. Cars will be parked in a manner that they have adequate spacing between one another, and patrons will be expected to stay in their vehicle. The event’s audio will be broadcast through FM frequencies, giving patrons the ultimate in-car concert experience as they tune-in on their radio dial.
Event Partners Selen Alpay and Kyle Sampson are excited to see the event come to life.
“It is really exciting to think that this event may bring back some form of ‘normalcy’ to music lovers in our community,” said Sampson. “Given the global health circumstance we are facing, it is of paramount importance to every single one of us involved that we strictly keep up with the health regulations that are currently in place. We certainly are doing everything we can to produce a fun, creative, and innovative event that the community can enjoy, however, we are very focused on making sure that we are doing this in a safe and socially responsible manner. We expect all patrons to follow the rules, stay in their vehicles, and maintain physical distancing at all times – otherwise we’re going to shut it down and stop the event. We will not tolerate irresponsible behaviour, and one person very well may ruin it for everyone. That said, we are optimistic that our patrons will respect the provincial orders and that the event will turn out to be some much-needed fun for those who attend.”
How much does it cost to attend? Free. The event is being offered free of charge thanks to the partnering organizations. Although the event is being offered at no cost, attendees and live stream viewers are being asked to make a donation to charity. The local cycling team, Wheelin’ Warriors of the North raise funds for the BC Cancer Foundation and have come onboard to support the event. To date the team has raised over $1 million dollars towards the fight against cancer, and 100 per cewnt of that money they raise stays right here in Prince George and northern B.C. The goal is to bring in at least $10,000 through this event for the Wheelin’ Warriors and the BC Cancer Foundation.
Donations from the event are being accepted here:
Capacity will be limited and will be offered on a first-come-first serve basis for those who wish to physically attend at the Canadian Tire Parking Lot. Those who wish to stay home will be able to enjoy the event from their home through a live stream on Facebook.
“We believe the live stream is going to make the event much more accessible to those people who would like to take in the entertainment but might not be able to physically attend for a variety of reasons,” said Alpay. “Although patrons will be expected to stay in their vehicle, we are urging anyone who is experiencing any flu or cold-like symptoms to not take the risk and to stay at home. Please respect your neighbours and do your part by staying home if you’re sick, or by maintaining physical distancing if you’re okay to come out. As mentioned by the provincial government recently, we are expecting those who are considering attending to assess the situation and make a decision that best for them and their family. All that said, we are excited to host a safe, fun, and innovative event for our community in our parking lot at Canadian Tire – See you soon.”
The evening is set to feature some of Prince George’s finest in local music. Studio 720, a local hard rock band, will be playing a variety of classic covers, mixed with a number of originals. The band recently launched their newest LP titled “Smokes, Let’s Go” which is available now on all streaming platforms.
Additional information about the band can be found online at: www.facebook.com/studio720music