ST CHARLES, Mo. — The Family Arena in St. Charles will reopen for public events, beginning with graduation ceremonies.
The arena, which had been closed to public events due to the coronavirus pandemic, will host its first graduation ceremony on July 10. Each ceremony will be livestreamed on the arena's website, according to a Monday press release.
“Our top priority is to make certain our guests are safe, and that includes heavily sanitizing the facility and making changes that allow for social distancing,” said Manager of Booking and Marketing Tom O’Keefe in the release. “While school districts may have their own set of restrictions for their ceremonies, after consultation with the districts, The Family Arena has procedures that will be followed for all ceremonies.”
Concessions will accept both cash and credit for a limited selection of items. Anyone interested in buying a suite for a ceremony can call the arena at 636-896-4200.
Several new procedures and precautions will be in place during the ceremonies.
Entering and screening
Guests and graduates must pass a temperature screening before entering and will then be given a sticker that must be worn inside the building. There will be no procession; graduates will proceed directly to the arena floor.
To eliminate the need to touch personal items, bags, purses and backpacks will not be allowed. Cameras and video recorders will be allowed, but can be the only items in the camera bag. Tripods aren't allowed.
Signs will be posted to help with crowd flow.
Cleaning and precautions
Guests are strongly encouraged to wear facemasks. Hand sanitizing stations will be available, though guests are encouraged to bring their own. All areas will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and a crew will constantly clean the bathrooms and concourse area during each event.
Seating
The arena will use only about half of its 9,600-seat capacity, and guests won't be allowed to sit in seats marked for social distancing. Graduates will sit 6 feet apart.
There will be no backdrop, and seating will be in the round to maximize capacity and maintain social distancing. The audience will be released section-by-section to minimize crowding.
