The Virginia jam-band festival Lockn' was originally supposed to happen last month. The festival was supposed to be an 80th-birthday celebration for the Grateful Dead member Phil Lesh's 80th birthday, and it was supposed to feature Lesh playing three different headlining sets, as well as performances from people like Brandi Carlisle, David Crosby, and Leon Bridges. Because of the pandemic, Lockn', like many festivals, delayed its 2020 edition until fall. Unlike most other festivals, Lockn' says that it's still planning for its in-person festival in October.
As JamBase reports, Lockn' has announced social-distancing measures that will supposedly make this year's in-person festival safe enough to happen. The festival hasn't announced a lineup yet, but it's scheduled to go down 10/2-4 in Arrington, Virginia. People going to the festival will need to wear masks in all public areas, and they'll need to watch the stage at a distance. The grounds are being divided into limited-capacity sections, with designated walkways and marked standing areas.
Health screenings are required to get into the festival grounds, and anyone who buys a ticket will need to stay for the entire weekend, not for individual days: "Once you arrive at Lockn' and pass through security and health screening checkpoints, you will not be permitted to return if you leave the property. Plan to stay for the whole weekend!"
Festival organizers are also "encouraging" cashless transactions via wristband, and they're also leaving more hand-washing stations and extra camping area, so that people can do social-distance camping.
As someone who lives 40 miles from the Lockn' grounds, all of this seems like a terrible fucking idea. COVID-19 cases have been surging in central Virginia lately, and the last thing we need is a bunch of fucking jam-band heads spending a weekend partying while trying to follow vague social-distancing guidelines. On the LOCKN' website, organizers say, "If anyone can follow house rules and have fun at the same time, it's Lockn'." To those organizers, I say: Please cancel this shit immediately.
