Summer and early spring are typically time for a long train of outdoor events in Centennial, but three of those gatherings already have been canceled, and the fate of two more in September is …
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Summer and early spring are typically time for a long train of outdoor events in Centennial, but three of those gatherings already have been canceled, and the fate of two more in September is unclear.
Live music and food trucks at Centennial Center Park are a tradition in the city, and 2020 would have been the year for the city’s fifth annual Brew-N-Que with local barbecue and breweries for beer-tasting, the 15th annual Centennial Under the Stars concert and laser-light show, and a May 30 Summer Kickoff event.
But they were canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic, and there may be more scratches ahead.
“We are still determining whether the Car Show and Chalk Art Festival will be canceled in September,” said Allison Wittern, city spokeswoman.
The city’s annual Car Show and Concert features a collection of classic and exotic cars lined up for attendees to vote for their favorite. The festival is a chalk art competition featuring Colorado artists and took place last year at The Streets at SouthGlenn outdoor mall.
The state of Colorado, as of mid-June, allows indoor and outdoor events at limited capacity, but the Brew-N-Que and Centennial Under the Stars remain canceled.
“Both of these events take place at Centennial Center Park, and the park remains closed at this time due to the city not having the capacity to effectively adhere to all the guidelines in place such as limited number of people, cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas frequently, keeping people 6 feet apart” and so on, Wittern said.
The Streets at SouthGlenn’s annual Dancing in The Streets summer concert series, which last year featured local and regional bands on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from June through August, was also canceled.
“Due to the unexpected issues arising from the COVID-19 virus, along with the related public health directives set forth by various governmental authorities, we have canceled this year’s concert series,” SouthGlenn said in a notice. “We look forward to the time we can bring back this festive celebration of summer to our community as it’s truly one of our favorite events!”
Amid the cancellations, for the first time ever, the city put on drive-in movie events in an effort to bring people together while adhering to public health restrictions, according to Wittern. And more are on the way.
“These events have been a great success,” Wittern said. “We’ve received very positive feedback from the community.”
The first movie was “Sonic the Hedgehog,” shown June 18, and the second was “A Dog’s Journey,” shown June 25, both at The Streets at SouthGlenn.
The third movie in the series, “The Lion King,” shows at dusk July 16 at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, located at 8000 S. Chambers Road in the Centennial area. “Toy Story 4” will be shown July 23, also at the Innovation Campus. Tickets and information are available here.
Centennial and the Arapahoe Libraries district teamed up for a Summer Sounds Virtual Concert Series, according to a city news release.
The concerts were to be held through the online video-conference platform Zoom and take place at 5:30 p.m. Friday evenings. As of early July, the lineup included dueling pianist Jordan Peterson on July 24 and singer-songwriter Sam Wheelock on July 31, according to the release.
The public can register here. Spots are limited.
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