Parks will welcome Spring Jamboree

Spring will be bustin’ out all over the downtown parks in Boulder City on Saturday and Sunday as Spring Jamboree returns for its 43rd incarnation.

The outdoor festival, a favorite among locals and visitors alike, officially begins at 8:45 a.m. Saturday with opening comments by Randy Hees, chairman of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, and other VIPs.

This marks the first major event in Boulder City since March 2020 when restrictions were put in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Favorite Spring Jamboree activities, including the Pan Draggers Rod Run car show, Antiques in the Park, Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society rock show and chamber business expo, are returning.

Other highlights include the Little Miss and Little Mister Pageant, sponsored by Dance Etc. and scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, and Bark in the Park, sponsored by See Spot Run and scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.

Jill Rowland-Lagan, CEO of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event, said interest in Spring Jamboree from vendors is high as small business owners are eager to get back to work. They are coming from throughout the Southwest and as far away as Seattle.

“We are sold out of booths,” she said. “We have more vendors than ever before.”

To help with social distancing, the booths will be spaced out a bit more than in the past throughout Bicentennial, Wilbur Square, and North and South Escalante parks.

COVID compliance

While some of the high-touch activities had to be eliminated this year because of COVID-19, including the Get Outdoors Nevada interactive activity and the kids’ zones, Rowland-Lagan said they are able to bring back the climbing wall, train rides and face painting.

Also changing to accommodate guidelines to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus is the orientation of the main stage and timing of entertainers. According to Rowland-Lagan, the face of the stage was turned to allow spectators to take advantage of the nearby shade trees and entertainers are timed with an approximately hour-long social distance break between them to allow the stage area to be cleaned as well as entertainers to set up or break down their equipment without interfering with other performers.

Attendance limits

Even though Clark County proposed an 80 percent occupancy rate at its meeting April 20 and it was approved by the state Tuesday, April 27, Rowland-Lagan said they will cap attendance at 5,500 at any one time because that number was approved in the plan the chamber submitted to the state’s Department of Business and Industry.

“It would have had an impact, but the timing is too tight to me to reapply to the county. They won’t accept applications until April 26 and that wouldn’t allow for the 10 days they require,” she said Monday.

The Department of Business and Industry recommended the chamber stick with the approved plan.

This also includes asking those attending Spring Jamboree to answer a few COVID-related health questions, having their temperatures taken, providing their name and telephone number and wearing wristbands.

“We understand that some may have concerns about sharing, but we are simply asking them to help us out,” she said.

In return, the chamber is offering a free raffle ticket to those who comply with the guidelines and a chance to win a weekend getaway to Laughlin, including concert tickets.

Rowland-Lagan said holding the Spring Jamboree is important, not only because it is serving as a model for future events, but because it is the chamber’s primary fundraiser.

She said all the extra work she and volunteers are required to do is worth it.

“We didn’t have it last year and I don’t know if we could go another year without it,” she said.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.