Sandy Springs is cautiously working on reopening the Performing Arts Center and City Springs campus for indoor and outdoor events.
Outdoor concerts and performances at the two theaters inside the Performing Arts Center are being planned with social distancing and other safety measures, Mayor Rusty Paul said during a City Council meeting Tuesday.
Outdoor concerts on the City Springs green space and at nearby Heritage Sandy Springs Museum and Park could start during the summer with indoor events starting at the end of August.
The 1,100-seat Byers Theater is the larger space inside the Performing Arts Center. Performers and shows have included trumpeter Joe Gransden with vocalist Francine Reed, the Atlanta Ballet and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific.”
Preliminary plans for reopening City Springs for entertainment events include more events that will draw diverse crowds, Paul said.
The city plans to make an announcement in April on a grand reopening and schedule of events if reports show there’s a continued increase in the numbers of people who’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as a decline in new cases of the disease, officials said.
“We’re optimistic but also being cautious,” Communications Director Sharon Kraun told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There’s such a pent-up demand for entertainment. Artists want to get back to work.”
Kraun said city officials saw the public’s desire for a return to entertainment in December when about 1,000 cars filled with multiple people came out for the Sparkle Sandy Springs Holiday Parade.
About the Author
