Capitol Beer Fest in Sacramento still on Saturday despite rain, coronavirus fears
The 10th annual Capitol Beer Fest will go on as planned Saturday afternoon — rain, shine or coronavirus.
The National Weather Service’s Sacramento office is predicting showers Friday night through Saturday. While Sacramento proper is expected to receive less than 1/10 of an inch of rain, up to a full inch is forecast for Grass Valley and some areas of the Sierra Nevada could get up to 10 inches of snow Saturday.
Rain came down hard at last year’s festival, but 96 percent of people who bought tickets still attended, said Runnin’ For Rhett executive director Randy Seevers. Seevers said he expects this year’s festival to raise roughly $250,000 for the charity, which funds youth fitness programs in Northern California.
“Rain doesn’t scare us away. It’s rained on us many times. We sell ponchos for a dollar and people show up,” Seevers said. “It’s amazing how the craft beer community continues to come out regardless of rain or shine.”
Nearly all the 1,000 VIP tickets and 7,000 general admission tickets had been sold as of Friday morning, Seevers said. It’ll run from 1 to 4 p.m. (noon to 4 p.m. for VIP ticketholders) from Third Street to Eighth Street along Capitol Mall — one more block than in years past.
COVID-19 presents a different challenge. Almost 100,000 cases have been reported worldwide, including 60 in California, and Sacramento County declared a public health emergency Thursday. At least three local organizations have canceled or postponed Lunar New Year celebrations over concerns about the virus, which caused a 71-year-old Rocklin man with underlying health conditions to die Wednesday morning.
Capitol Beer Fest is giving each of its 125 vendor tents sanitary gloves this year, Seevers said, and docking large hand sanitizer dispensers around the festival. Pourers have also been reminded not to touch tasting glasses to the taps.
“We’ve had some questions about it and we’re definitely taking it seriously,” Seevers said. “We’re definitely aware of it and going to try to keep things as sanitary as possible.”
There is no cure or vaccine for COVID-19, but public health officials recommend practicing these habits to prevent it:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. Throw used tissues in the trash immediately.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 12:24 PM.