Shasta County was able to loosen some restrictions on businesses last week due to declining coronavirus cases.
The county is now in the red tier under the state’s COVID-19 reopening plan. Despite the move to a less restrictive tier, it's too soon to say how many spring and summer events will be able to take place.
Redding’s classic car show, Kool April Nites, was canceled for the second year in a row. The Redding Rodeo on the other hand is tentatively scheduled for May 13, 14 and 15.
Bennett Gooch, president of the Redding Rodeo Association, says the rodeo will be scaled back due to COVID-19 restrictions. He says the organization struggled financially after last year's cancellation.
“We put our heads together and figured out ways to dial everything back and we budgeted the year on what we had in our savings to be able to just survive,” Gooch said.
Jake Mangas, president of the Redding Chamber of Commerce, says that many organizations have had to hold events and fundraise virtually during the pandemic. He added that there’s more to community events than raising money.
"It’s just fun. I mean it’s the fun in the fundraiser, going to the crab feed, the community coming together. We as humans I think need that connection,” Mangas said.
While some spring and summer events will be returning in Shasta County this year, it may be some time yet before many can safely reconvene without restrictions.