Escapade festival holds pop-up clinic to vaccinate concertgoers before show

Escapade Music Festival is holding a pop-up vaccine clinic this weekend with Ottawa Public Health, to make sure its concertgoers will be fully protected before attending its September event.

The festival announced only fully vaccinated people can attend its next event scheduled for Sept. 3 to 5. 

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the festival is holding a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at RCGT Park at the baseball stadium on 300 Coventry Road. People can register to get their first or second doses online, and there will be limited drop-ins if there are enough vaccines.

"We're trying to make it more Escapade style," said Ali Shafaee, director of the festival. "We'll have some music for people when they're there. We'll be giving away some prizes."

Shafaee says though the clinic is being held for ticketholders, anyone can come. 

About a week before the event, concertgoers will have to simply show proof of vaccination (paper or digital copy from the Ministry of Health) as they pick up their wristbands that lets them into the event.

"There's no data collection," said Shafaee on CBC Radio's All In A Day. "What we're trying to really do is put as much measures in place to operate a safe festival."

The festival was rescheduled several times since it was supposed to play in June 2020. 

"There is still time to get your two doses before the beat drops this fall!" reads a news release from the city sent Tuesday.