Lander, Wyoming — In the interest of public health and safety, the Lander Chamber of Commerce has decided to postpone its popular Lander Brewfest until late summer or early autumn. The Chamber also has decided to cancel its Lander LIVE concert series for 2020.
“The situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic remains extremely fluid, and we’ve been monitoring what similar festivals and events have been doing,” said the Chamber’s Executive Director, Owen Sweeney. “While some good signs are emerging regarding the slowing spread of the virus, at least in our region, there’s simply no way to reasonably be confident that Lander will be able to host large gatherings in less than two months. On a short timeline, Brewfest, as a one-off event, stands a greater chance of happening than the three separate Lander LIVE concerts. Our brewers and sponsors are aware that we are trying to make Brewfest happen, but they also understand that much of the ongoing situation remains outside of our control.”
With a seat on the Wind River Visitors Council (WRVC), the lodging tax board responsible for promoting travel and tourism in Fremont County, the Chamber is attuned to much of the sobering news coming out of that sector. Said Sweeney, “There is some hopeful discussion across the country about reopening the economy, but whether it will open all at once or be a managed sector-by-sector rollout is anyone’s guess. Even should the economy open sooner than later, it will take some time to gauge the effects of the lockdowns. After several weeks of social distancing, how comfortable will people be with traveling? Will they avoid large gatherings? Will people even have disposable income? Only time will tell.”
Matt Reed, General Manager of Fremont Toyota, title sponsor of Lander Brewfest, agrees. “Owen gave me a heads up a few weeks ago that Brewfest might be postponed or even canceled. Fremont Toyota is here for the community and fully supports the Chamber’s prudent decision, and we’ll be there to make sure Brewfest happens again, even if it has to be a smaller, scaled-down event.”
“We really appreciate Fremont Toyota’s flexibility,” Sweeney noted. “The government recommendations to limit movement, though perfectly reasonable, have been tough on many of our members. Our focus right now is to help them through this.”
