New county order puts concert series in peril

Editor's note: One day after this article was initially published, a new order by Public Health Madison-Dane County effectively halted preparations for Wednesday Night Live. Organizers now say it is unlikely they will take place this year. "It's sad," said Charlie Jefko. "But we'll just have to come back bigger and better next year."

For nearly a quarter century, balmy summer evenings in Mount Horeb have been filled with the laughter of children, the conversing of friends, and the songs that bring them all together. In its 23 years, the Wednesday Night Live concert series has treated audiences at Grundahl Park to a blend of musical styles, from blues and folk to country, Avant Garde rock, pop and more. 

If things go as planned – and it’s a given that nothing can be taken for granted during the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – this year will be no exception. 

But even if the show does go on, it will be very different in many key ways. 

Organizers have been hard at work in a herculean attempt to make sure local residents get to enjoy five bands. 

While a normal year’s planning includes plenty of logistical hurdles, from prognosticating the wild Wisconsin weather to the booking of the bands to the gathering of donations and promoting the event, this year organizers have been spending their time consulting public health officials, poring over state and county pandemic regulations, figuring out how to keep people safely spaced apart, and even making sure every attendee would be catalogued for the purpose of contract tracing. 

Perhaps the biggest change this year, if county rules allow the concerts to begin later this month, is that attendance at each show will now be capped at 250 people. In order for Wednesday Night Live to begin, the county and state officials must first loosen current bans on large gatherings.  

Charlie Jefko is part of a small group of people who 23 years ago began putting on the Wednesday Night Live series. He has guided it ever since, but this year was unlike any other he has experienced. At this point, he can cite various rules and regulations, along with stipulations and instrumentations, all as part of the constantly evolving plan to hold weekly public concerts starting on July 15 and continuing through August 12. 

When asked if he plans to hold the concerts, he replies with marked but cautious enthusiasm: “Absolutely.” 

“If we’re not restricted by COVID-19, we will have them,” he continues. “We would have to move to Phase 3 to do it. Under Phase 2, which we are currently in, it can’t happen. But we are hopeful that we will have moved to Phase 3.”

Following a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Dane County, including some in Mount Horeb, he said he’s unsure if and when the concerts will be allowed, but he has everything in place to proceed if they are possible. 

Key among the myriad conditions, is the fact that the third phase of the plan allows public gatherings of up to 250 people. That’s certainly less than usually attend the popular Wednesday Night Live Concerts each week, but Jefko hopes that, spread out between up to five concerts, as many people as possible will get a chance to relax and unwind in the park.

“I’ve already set up everything,” he explains. “We’ve got a ticketing system in place. I know there will be demand, and I’m sure they will sell out.”

“I think some people will feel left out, but it’s inevitable,” he continues. “Hopefully as many as possible can get their Wednesday Night Live fix.” 

Due to COVID-19 regulations, Wednesday Night Live in 2020 would be a ticketed, paid event. While in past years the concerts have been free, this year’s complications mean tickets were the only way to get an accurate head count, allow for contact tracing, and make sure the event has enough funding to take place. Tickets will be $5, they will be nonrefundable, and if shows are cancelled the money will be donated to Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a local charity working to feed, clothe, and assist people in need in the community. 

“I really feel people can safely watch these concerts,” Jefko says. “We will encourage people to wear facemasks, and I think people in Mount Horeb have been pretty good about doing that.”

After talking to officials at Public Health of Madison and Dane County, Jefko came up with a plan to install “social distancing dots” at the park. Those marks will show concertgoers how much space to give one another, and they should be self-explanatory. 

“I’m sure people will figure it out when they get there,” he says. 

Beyond the nuts and bolts of planning the concerts, Jefko thinks there is a greater psychological need for them than ever before.

“I think it’s so much more important now,” he says. “Obviously, we are living with a new normal and will be for some time. It seems like everything this summer is canceled, and I’m hoping to be able to pull this off. It will be smaller, but hopefully it will give people some sense of something normal.”

“People really look forward to this,” he continues. “It’s part of summer in Mount Horeb.”

But Jefko admits there are factors beyond his control. 

“It’s kind of worrisome, because cases have been spiking lately. We’ll have to wait and see.”