Lexington Pride Festival requires full COVID-19 vaccination proof or negative test

The Lexington Pride Festival, scheduled for Sept. 25, will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within three days of the event.

The rules apply to guests, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff, the festival website said.

‘We know many of those we serve are more vulnerable to risks from the coronavirus due to conditions that are more common in our community,’ festival organizers said. “We have been looking at reports on the spread of COVID-19 at in-person outdoor events both locally and across the nation. The news has been positive. There is no indication that outdoor, in-person events with proper protocols are ‘superspreaders.’”

The festival is set for 11 a.m to 10:00 p.m. in downtown Lexington.

There will be no admission charge for the festival, but there will be specific entry points into the festival area this year to check that attendees meet COVID-19 requirements.

All attendees should bring a face mask, organizers said. Extras will be available at the festival. Those who are unvaccinated must wear a mask at all times. Those who are vaccinated should wear masks when 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.

“We encourage everyone to wear masks if you enter indoor spaces near the festival area,” organizers said.

People who have tested positive or who have been recently exposed to COVID should not attend, the website said.

This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 11:13 AM.