The Corona Virus, or COVID-19, has captivated the attention of every nation in the world. It's infection rate, ability to live on surfaces for longer than originally thought, transference through respiratory droplets as far as 10 feet, and fatality rate for the elderly and immuno-suppressed have been causing market drops, panic in retail stores, travel restrictions, overcrowded and understaffed hospitals, and disaster porn in the media. The leaders of New Orleans Lamplight Circle have discussed the virus' impact on events and we wanted to address you, our tribe.
As of right now, the situation is still fluid. Online pundits are predicting a turning of the tide in mid-April if people adopt social distancing practices now. We advocate for this as well. We want everyone to be safe and healthy. Our festival, however, does possess some built-in advantages: there already is social distancing occurring by camping outside, it allows people in urban areas like New Orleans to get away from the epicenter of the Louisiana Corona Virus outbreak, we always have less than 150 people there (and we will cap it at that size), and the only indoor communal place is the clubhouse. Therefore, as of today, our festival is still "a go." For the sake of everyone's health, we are making some changes:
We will have a volunteer at the clubhouse whose sole purpose will be sanitation. They will be in charge of wiping door handles, sink knobs, and the other things people put their hands on.
We are asking everyone to bring a bottle of sanitizer with them and to use it liberally throughout the event. Please make sure you are thoroughly washing your hands throughout the day.
If you are feeling ill before the event, PLEASE STAY HOME! You can use the community page to sell your ticket. We are happy to transfer it to someone else's name.
If you are immuno-suppressed or elderly, we highly advise you to stay home and not risk exposure.
There is a portion of our ritual where we share a cup. We will instead have individual cups for each ritual participant.
We are asking attendees not to share bottles or cups for drinking.
Finally, regarding our refund policy: Most of your money has already been spent on our performers, mugs, general supplies, etc. Therefore, if you find that you can no longer attend the event, we highly advise you to use the Wyld Fire Beltane Hunt Community Facebook page to sell your tickets to interested parties. Refunds will be honored within 1 week post-purchase, and no later than April 17th. While I wish I could provide more flexibility regarding refunds, we want to make sure that we are left with funds to donate to charity.
If you have never attended our event, we don't want you to be afraid, because there is a lot of misinformation out there. Please, DON'T PANIC! Here are some helpful links:
We will continue to monitor the situation closely. If we do end up cancelling, that announcement will come before April 17th. You are always welcome to email us with questions. Finally, we hope that we see your smiling faces. In these uncertain times, being with tribe in the comforts of nature is a comfort and blessing!
Thank you!
Comments