May 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 10

WE ARE PARKS AND RECREATION
Special Events in the Time of COVID-19
By Christine DiGioia

W
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOWARD COUNTY RECREATION AND PARKS

hen it comes to planning events, organizers have likely
considered almost every scenario possible to be prepared
for the unknown. There are plans for natural disasters,
accidents, extreme weather, terrorist threats and so much
more - but a pandemic?
Last year, as the world transitioned from the thought process
of " we just need to wait this out "
to " this is the new normal, " event
planners were faced with the task
of how to adapt special events.
With only a five-step process, Howard County Recreation and Parks
in Maryland was able to modify
procedures to successfully develop
a new event plan.
While the following example
shows the measures Howard County Recreation and Parks took for its
Fall Festival, called Truck or Treat
in Howard County, these tips can

Howard County Recreation and Parks
modifies its special events during the
pandemic.

TRUCK OR TREAT
Event Activities

What
Can
Run

What
Cannot
Run
What can be adapted

Trucks

✔

No sitting or
climbing/touching

Treats/Giveaways/Prizes

✔

Pre-filled treat bags handed
out at the end

Face painting/Tattoos

✖
✖
✖
✖

Inflatables
Petting Zoo
Games
Costumes/Picture-taking
Vendors
Sponsors
2,000 people
Indoor/Outdoor

10	 Parks & Recreation

✔
✔
✔
✔
✔

| M AY 2 02 1 | PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N .O R G

Add more " photo spots "
Send giveaways for treat bags
Banners/signs only, not on-site
100 kids per hour, longer event
Outdoor only

apply toward any major holiday
event, including Memorial Day.
Truck or Treat is typically a
Halloween-themed
touch-a-truck
experience that features trucks and
tractors from the parks department,
county highways, police, fire and
rescue, park rangers, and even local
businesses. Families can trick-ortreat at the trucks; take pictures; and
enjoy carnival-type games, inflatable
slides, face painting, a hay ride and
more. The three-hour event typically
hosts more than 2,000 people. If
there is inclement weather, the trucks
remain outside, and all activities
move inside the community center.
During the current climate with
physical distancing, mask wearing
and limited crowds, a few factors
needed to be taken into account.

STEP 1: Look up the current
local and state guidelines in your
county or area.
For Howard County Maryland, in
Stage III of reopening, inside capacity was limited to 50 percent,
masks were required in all situations where you cannot physically
distance from others and gatherings were limited to 250 people.
STEP 2: How can we adapt to
fit the guidelines in the area?
These guidelines immediately
caused the cancellation of any indoor options for the event, as well
as limited the tickets to no more
that 250 at a time. (The event space
is approximately 85,000 square
feet, and also backs up to a park.)
The event was adapted by ex-
May 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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