This fall, local Mansfield businesses will be open for everyone’s favorite fall activities, but will continue to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s health and safety.
The Adventure Park at Storrs, an outdoor ropes and zipline course, has found that its activities naturally cater to COVID-safety guidelines.
“The Park has been a popular activity during the pandemic, as it allows people to get together but be outside,” Candie Fisher, the president of the Outdoor Venture group of the park said. “Once they start climbing, people naturally spread out across the trails, so it helps with social distancing as well.”
The park has taken some pandemic-related safety measures, such as increased sanitation, contactless monetary transactions and policies and signs promoting social distancing.
“We did add new health and safety protocols due to the pandemic, following local and CDC guidelines. These have changed as the guidance has changed,” Fisher said.
The park offers solely outdoor activities such as axe throwing, Firepit Fridays, Fall Festival “Glow in the Park” and Halloween “Glow in the Park” events, according to Fisher.
The Mansfield Public Library has also made adjustments due to COVID-19. Director Leslie McDonough explained that these were influenced directly by local protocol.
“Our COVID policies are the town’s policies,” she said.
According to the library’s website, “Masks are required to enter the building. People who are unable to wear a mask may continue using curbside services or homebound delivery.”
To allow activities to continue safely, the Mansfield Public Library has moved many programs either outdoors or virtual, keeping attendance at events “steady.”
“Library traffic is steady, without the peaks in attendance that come with having an in-house event,” McDonough said.
The library has highlighted many October events, such as outdoor story times and virtual movie and film discussions.