The Herberger Theatre Center recently announced its new outdoor stage, The Pavilion. The grand opening will showcase the eleventh annual Festival of the Arts, a free event, on Saturday, Nov. 14.
“It’s always been our goal to reach more of the community, especially downtown,” said Mark Mettes, the Herberger Theatre Center’s marketing manager.
The Herberger Theatre began planning earlier this year on how they could create a space for people to gather outside and enjoy the arts since they cannot have shows inside the theatre due to COVID-19.
The Pavilion can hold up to 300 guests, but for safety precautions, the Festival of the Arts will only be allowing up to 160 guests to enter the space.
Official COVID-19 protocol has been set in place for all guests, volunteers and staff to follow.
“You are risking COVID-19 by participating in any event right now, but we are doing our absolute best by requiring masks and face coverings and requiring social and physical distancing,” said Mettes.
Signage will be posted throughout the outdoor space to remind guests to socially distance and follow safety procedures.
The Festival of the Arts will showcase artist demos, children’s activities, a virtual vendor walk, food and performances both live and virtual through Facebook and YouTube.
The virtual vendor walk allows for a variety of vendors to showcase their products without actually being present in the space. Guests will be able to walk through the vendor space and view their website by scanning a QR code with their cell phones.
The Herberger Theatre will also have information about the vendors on its website. “We will have their logo, a photo of their product, and a link to their website that we are going to keep up from the festival to the end of December,” said Mettes.
The series of performances are a part of “The Art of Celebration series, which focuses on celebrating community and creativity in the space,” said the Herberger Theatre website, and is focused on stimulating conversations through diverse experiences and bringing together the artist and their audience through emotion.
Guests will be able to sit back and enjoy the performances in physically distanced pods that are 6 feet apart from the other. Families and those who live in the same household will be allowed to sit together within the same pod.
Due to COVID-19, the festival will be providing a touchless experience, from ordering free tickets, food, and drinks from the outside bar all from their phone.
TLC Café, the Herberger Theatre’s exclusive concessionaire will be providing food and beverages on the festival grounds, and guests can either eat in their pods or outside in any of the designated socially distanced areas along The Pavilion.
Guests who would like another dining option can visit MATCH Market & Bar for a special discount. The Festival of the Arts has partnered with MATCH Market & Bar, a local café in the Downtown Phoenix Arts District, to offer a buy one entrée get one free with the mention of The Festival of the Arts.
To create The Pavilion, the Herberger Theatre received donations from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, Billie Jo and Judd Herberger, Perkins Coie, the Arizona Community Foundation and Downtown Phoenix Partnership to help create this space for the community to safely enjoy live events during the current pandemic.
Mettes believe that The Pavilion will bring about hope and opportunity for companies to reach their audience in a different way due to COVID-19.
Contact the reporter at laquinla@asu.edu.
