Post- COVID Recovery to officially begin July 16.
Saint John, NB (Wednesday, May 26, 2021) – The team responsible for AREA 506, New Brunswick’s premiere celebration of local music, culture and goods, today announced their format, site plan and schedule to bring live music back to the Port City for 2021.
“After several months of planning, we are excited to announce our pivot plan for 2021” says Ray Gracewood, AREA 506 Founder and Chairperson. “This year’s format will look a little different and really puts the health and safety of our volunteers, artists and attendees at the forefront. We are ecstatic with what our planning committee has been able to create with the support of an amazing group of partners and stakeholders” continued Gracewood.
This year’s plan will extend the summer with a ten-part concert series beginning Friday, July 16 and running until Saturday, August 14. All shows will have limited tickets and will be available as six or ten person pods intended for attendees to remain in the comfort of their own social groups. Concerts will be hosted every Friday and Saturday evening, with gates opening at 5pm for each event to encourage staggered entry. Opening acts will begin at 8pm, with headline acts scheduled to hit the stage at 930pm. Attendees are encouraged to book early, as pods are likely to sell out very quickly.
The Waterfront Concert Series will take place on Long Wharf, a marquee location on the Saint John Waterfront and host to AREA 506 from 2016 to 2018.
“The location is perfect, not only because it feels like home, but also because of the space it affords us to encourage social distancing and to create a really unique pod-based environment for this year’s event” says Gracewood. “The site planning process has been a challenge as we’ve never organized an event like this, but I’m excited because the design is really starting to feel like everyone will get their own mini-VIP section”.
The project could not have happened without the support of a core group of public and private sponsors, led by Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency.
“We’re incredibly excited to work with the AREA 506 team to make the Waterfront Concert Series a reality” says Paulette Hicks, CEO of Envision Saint John. “As a founding partner of AREA 506, we knew that the team would rise to the challenge of developing an innovative experience that’s unique and cool, true to its brand, but also safe and responsible”.
Final talent lineup and schedule for the 2021 Waterfront Concert Series will be announced on Friday, May 28 with tickets going on sale Thursday, June 3. Exclusive pre-sale will be made available to AREA 506 newsletter members beginning Tuesday, June 2 – sign up at area506.ca.
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Media Contact:
Ray Gracewood
Area 506 Committee Chair
ray@area506.ca
506.645.1653
