TYLER, Texas — During the pandemic, business has come to a stand still at event venues such as the Cedars of Lebanon in Tyler.
"Early on back in February, March, maybe even into April, we were proactive, and contacting people and actually telling them we needed to cancel because we weren't sure what the ramifications were going to be," Bill Frank, President of the Cedars Club who oversees the venue, said. "We weren't sure what the state allowed and we wanted to follow the rules. "
Frank says now that they're able to hold events again, they're taking extra precautions like sanitizing the facility after every event, however, there are some restrictions that are left up to attendees.
"Once we rent the club for a function, and once that function picks up the key and starts their decorating process, we pretty much think stand back and let them do what they want to do," Frank said. "We provide them with a copy of what the governor or what the state says they can do or shouldn't do, and how they should have some social distancing, but we're not really there to enforce it. That's not really our role. Our role is to rent the club and to let the people follow and do what they want to do. "
Kiepersol Winery is another popular wedding venue in Tyler. They've also had to stop hosting events, despite demand from the public
"We're always getting phone calls, you know, who doesn't want to get married in a vineyard or out in a winery," Mike Roth, Kiepersol spokesperson and storyteller, said. "We are working with people trying to figure out what the best options are. I can't promise anything at this time, but we are certainly looking for when the governor opens things up a lot more."
Kiepersol had just opened a new event center when the pandemic hit. Now, they've turned that space into their new wine and distillery tasting room, with plenty of space for people to socially distance.
"Last October, we finished building our event center called "The Grand Room at Kiepersol" and it was meant to be for you know, weddings or parties or events and of course, we got shut down," Roth said. "And so we looked at a our company as a whole and said, 'we're obviously not going to be doing any events with the shutdown and pandemic.'"
The Cowan Center is usually filled with throngs of excited concert goers this time of year, but the pandemic put a stop to their 2019-2020 season.
"We ended last season with three events canceled or postponed, one of them got postponed and so we're very excited that we were able to book an entire season," Susan Tomae Morphew, executive director of the UT Tyler Cowan Center, said.
The Cowan Center does have one lecturer scheduled for October and has released their line up of performances for the spring season. However, if the pandemic continues into 2021, they are reassuring ticket buyers that they will offer refunds.
"We will certainly refund their ticket funds," Morphew said. "That is whatever they pay for their ticket, we will refund it if we have to cancel. So by ahead, be confident we're going to open and have shows as soon as we're allowed."