Chamber events being postponed, replanned due to COVID-19

Havre Area Chamber of Commerce is among other groups in the state replanning its calendar as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is surging.

Chamber Executive Director Julea Robbins said the Chamber is looking at postponing events not canceling them.

She said Sounds on the Square, which normally starts in June, is postponed to maybe August.

“We didn’t want to rule that if we are in Phase 3 in July or in August we wanted to be able to start it up again, so we’re just postponing it,” she said. 

In order to hold those kinds of events, she said, the state does have to be in Phase 3.

She added that goes along with Saturday Market.

The Chamber is in the process of finding a new location or other options because Town Square is too small for social distancing and it might start later, she said.

Decisions have not been made on events further out.

“We’re forging ahead as if Festival Days is happening,” Robbins said. “We can cross our fingers and hope, but if we are not in Phase 3 then some things with Festival Days probably will not happen.”

She said if the Chamber does do any kind of events it has to go through Hill County which has been working with the City of Havre and Hill County pretty closely.

“Making sure we’re on the same page,” she added. “Making sure that we’re doing the best and the safest things for the community.”

The Chamber is going to continue to follow all the local, state and federal regulations that are put out on things, she said.

“We just want to make sure we’re not part of the problem,” Robbins said, “We want to make sure that we’re not putting anybody at risk.”

She said Biz and Brews might be held in August as well.

Week-to-week, she said, the Chamber doesn’t know what’s going to happen.

“We could move into Phase 3 next week or we could stay where we are at or even regress in the next month or so,” she added, “so we’re just going to continue to reassess every time we hear something and anytime new regulations come out we get together on every committee about every event see what we can do, making sure that we’re following what we’re told.”