FAIR USE: Carnival at rodeo arena set to open today

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 22, 2020

The carnival set up by Kissel Entertainment at the Limestone County Sheriff’s Rodeo Arena is set to begin 5 p.m. today.

When The News Courier first posted about the carnival, many readers took to the comments section to protest the event coming to town amidst the coronavirus pandemic, while others saw no harm in it.

“It will be a breeding ground for the spread of the virus,” Christie Cook said. “We are not even close to flattening the curve and this will not allow for social distancing.”

Manager Madison Kissel has said the company has put several guidelines in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including sanitizing games and rides between each use, employees wearing mandatory face coverings and hanging signs reminding visitors to maintain social distancing.

However, some users felt it wasn’t enough and called for local officials to put a stop to the carnival. Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said he received a handful of comments on social media asking about the carnival and protesting its opening.

“Most folks associated it with the City of Athens,” Marks said. “I would not give a permit for this and have not. It is not in the City of Athens.”

The arena, located on Alabama 99, is private property, meaning no local government entity needs to give approval before the carnival opens operations. Cook told The News Courier she reached out to Sheriff Mike Blakely, who owns the property, and was told the contract had been signed some time ago.

“I encouraged him hard to either postpone or cancel the contract,” Cook said. “I’m assuming neither request took place. I hope that people will just use common sense and stay away. People are going to go because too many people still think this is a ‘hoax.’”

Other commenters, like Phillip McElyea, reminded residents that attendance was not mandatory, while Caleb Carter said the carnival opening up was no different from people traveling to beaches during the pandemic.