Point Edward council has endorsed plans for an outdoor concert in October which the Barenaked Ladies have agreed to headline.
Bluewater BorderFest is working with Starlight Casino to host an event called "OktBorderFest" in the parking lot of the gaming facility October 1 and 2.
BorderFest spokesman Brian McNair told village council COVID-19 safety measures will be in place.
"COVID's not new, it's something that we've all been dealing with," said McNair. "People understand the risks. We'll have policies in place for social distancing, masking will still be required. We always have a cleanup crew that is responsible for sanitizing all surfaces that are touched; public washrooms, railings and whatnot."
Under Stage 3 of Ontario's Roadmap to Reopening rules the maximum capacity each night would be 5,000, but McNair said they're expecting about 2,500 to 3,000 people.
"Everyone's getting a little tired of restrictions, so we just ask that people do their due diligence and cooperate and we can make something good out of a bad situation."
McNair said anyone failing to follow the rules would be removed from the event.
"We had a very successful Rocking the Runway, which was a drive-in concert held at the airport last fall. The goal was to keep everyone in their vehicle, but anyone who was outside was wearing a mask and the security company that we dealt with was very diligent in making sure that everyone cooperated. For the most part, 95 per cent of the people were very successful in following the rules and they understand the risks and they understand that we're all in this together."
McNair said organizers are prepared for the risks that come with COVID and assured that they're watching the situation very closely.
Bluewater BorderFest announced late Thursday morning that The Glorious Sons, with Born Ruffians, will perform Friday night and Barenaked Ladies, with Sarnia’s Kim Mitchell, will perform on Saturday.
Village mayor Bev Hand and councillors Tim Mondoux, Paul Burgess and Larry Gordon supported the plans.
It was not supported by Deputy Mayor Greg Grimes, who expressed some concerns, including the ability for emergency services to access the area south of the casino, including Bridgeview Marina.
Tickets can be purchased at www.bluewaterborderfest.ca.
