There has been concern in the greater Kenai / Soldotna area for the fate of Soldotna’s Wednesday Market due to proposed precautionary measures because of COVID-19, but the market will still be taking place on Wednesday, June 24. Among the topics to be discussed during Wednesday night’s Soldotna City Council meeting will be the safety of large gatherings.
The topic is being discussed after having been tabled during the council’s June 10 meeting. During that meeting, nearly two hours of discussion took place regarding a memorandum presented to the council regarding guidance from the Centers for Disease Control on how to best conduct events in the area.
Shanon Davis of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce says that this week’s Wednesday Market is set to go off without a hitch, based on last week: “Tomorrow is the market again and I went to the market last week in Soldotna Creek Park and it was fabulous! They were able to spread out a little bit more, so they’re taking up the entire lawn space now. Vendors are distanced at 20-feet apart and there was plenty of room for everybody to feel safe, but also enjoy a great shopping experience. Oh my gosh, the food there – I’ve missed it so much. It was really nice to be able to get back and support some of our local vendors. So, they’ll be there opening at 11:00 a.m. and they’ll be open a little bit later – I believe they’re staying open until 7:30 p.m. now.”
She also acknowledges the concern floating around regarding whether the market will be under attack during the council’s meeting: “There’s been a worry that they might be looking at shutting down the market. I have it on pretty good authority that that’s not the case. So, they’re wanting to make sure that everybody is safe and can enjoy being outside without worrying about infecting themselves or others. It looks like the council is doing a great job of exploring different options and I’m fairly certain that the market is going to be just fine this summer.”
Details about Wednesday’s Soldotna City Council meeting can be found here, including details on Action Memorandum 2020-011 regarding large public gatherings.
