Coronavirus closings: Tri-Cities festivals, events, concerts and meetings

A number of events in the Tri-Cities and Washington state are being canceled or postponed in response to the spread of the coronavirus.

This list will continue to be updated as information becomes available.

Here are some of the events of regional interest that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak:

Tri-Cities

Schools

▪ All K-12 public and private schools will be closed March 17 through April 24 under a statewide order by Gov. Jay Inslee. Activities also will be limited at public and private universities, colleges, technical schools and private career schools and apprenticeships. Many colleges have said they will move classes and finals online.

▪ Cavalcade of Authors has canceled its events after authors were reluctant to travel to the Tri-Cities for events at schools and libraries. The main event March 21 at Enterprise Middle School will not be held and refunds will be offered. The appearances by authors March 18-19 at West Richland, Pasco and Kennewick Mid-Columbia Libraries also are canceled.

Events

▪ The Health and Safety Expo supported by the Department of Energy and Hanford Site contractors set for April 21-22 at the HAPO Center, formerly TRAC, in Pasco, is canceled.

▪ The Lakeside Gem and Mineral Club canceled its annual Gem and Mineral Show scheduled for April 18-19 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. And the board meeting and general club meeting for April is canceled.

▪This spring’s Bluewood BASH — Bluewood Annual Spring Happening — planned for March 28-29 is canceled in response to the state ban on events for more than 250 people. The ski area near Dayton has closed.

▪ Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick has canceled its March 21 Soroptimist Area Meeting at Clover Island and the March 28th Tri-Cities Soroptimist Dream It, Be It - Career Support Event for high school girls at the ESD 123 building.

▪ Franklin County Farm Bureau Farm Fair March 26-27 at the Benton County Fairground is canceled.

▪ The Department of Energy has postponed the 2020 start of public tours of the Hanford nuclear reservation through the end of April.

▪ The Othello Sandhill Crane Festival has canceled its 23rd annual event. It was planned for March 20-22, with guided field trips to see sandhill cranes and other outdoor attractions and a day of lectures and activities. Full refunds will be issued, although some people have offered to donate their ticket purchase to help offset the debt incurred preparing for the festival. Donations may be mailed to Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, P.O. Box 542, Othello, WA 99344.

▪ The March 24 concert for Community Concert of the Tri-Cities at Faith Tri-Cities Auditorium is canceled. Artists Sons of Serendip have canceled their tour.

▪ The March for Respect on March 21 at John Dam Plaza in Richland in support of those with developmental disabilities has been postponed. Those who have purchased t-shirts and hoodies can pick them up at The Arc of Tri-Cities on March 20 before 4:15 p.m.

▪ The March 27 ribbon cutting for the second phase of the Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village on east Columbia Drive in Kennewick has been postponed, with a new date yet to be announced. The Columbia Gardens’ wineries and food truck businesses will continue to operate as usual.

▪ Special Olympics events and practices have been suspended through the end of the month, not only in the Tri-Cities but across the nation to protect athletes fro the spread of the novel coronavirus.

▪ The Ye Merrie Greenwood Renaissance Faire scheduled in September at Columbia Park in Kennewick will not be held this year.

Services

▪ Ben Franklin Transit has stopped collecting fares for bus, Dial-A-Ride and general demand services until April 11. Riders with March passes can use them through the end of April. Riders will enter and exit the bus from the back to maintain a six-foot distance from the driver. They are asked to stagger seating to remain six feet from other passengers.

▪ Mid-Columbia Libraries has closed all 12 branches and the Bookmobile until April 24. Library customers should keep books and materials they have checked out until the libraries reopen rather than return them in the meantime. Due dates have been extended until April 27.

▪ Richland Public Library is reducing hours and services at least through the end of March. It will be open 10 a.m. to noon and 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and closed Sunday. The library will only be open to allow customers to pick up items reserved by phone or online.

▪ Benton Franklin Health District is suspending some services and moving others online or to communication by phone. For a full list of changes go to bfhd.wa.gov.

▪ Kennewick City Hall is closed through March 31, but business can be transacted by telephone and e-mail. A drop box for utility payments is on the east side of City Hall.

▪ Grant PUD is closing its overnight campgrounds near the Columbia River at Crescent Bar, Rocky Coulee, Sand Hollow, Priest Rapids Recreation Area and Jackson Creek Fish Area through at least April 27.

▪ WorkSource Columbia Basin in Kennewick is closing until April 6. Staff will be available through emails and and by phone. Call 509-734-5900.

▪ Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels is limiting home delivery and dining meal service. It will deliver hot meals and supplemental frozen meals to homebound clients each Tuesday to provide a meal for each day of the week. Seniors who eat at dining centers can pick up frozen meals to take home. Call 509-735-1911 for more information.

▪ Tax aide service has been stopped at the Richland Public Library until further notice. March 14 was the last day.

▪ The Friends Book Store inside the Richland Public Library has closed to protect volunteers and shoppers. Tables of books and shelves of paperback books in the entry section of the library will be kept stocked for purchase for a quarter to a dollar each. Books, magazines, CDCs and DVDs can still be donated in the bins outside the sale room.

▪ The Benton REA and PowerNET Offices in Prosser and West Richland will close to the public Tuesday, March 17, until further notice. Employees can be reached by calling 800-221-6987, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All departments will continue operating to maintain services and restore any outages. Power outages can be reported by calling 800-221-6987 or through SmartHub.

▪ Franklin PUD will close its walk-in customer service area starting March 17. The PUD drive-thru at 1411 W. Clark St. will be open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

▪ Benton PUD offices and auditoriums in Kennewick and Prosser have closed to the public.

▪ The Kennewick Irrigation District office is closed to the public.

▪ All Grant PUD facilities will be closed to the public until further notice as a precautionary measure. A contract worker and a regular employee who were tested for COVID-19 have received negative results but the office will remain closed to reduce risks.

▪ The city of Prosser has suspended city recreation programs for senior citizens. Other recreation programs will be evaluated to determine their risk, as well as there compliance, with the latest advice of health officials. Meals on Wheels continues to deliver meals but those who usually eat at the Community Center will have to pick up meals at the back door. At this time there are no interruptions to Prosser city services.

Meetings

▪ The Kennewick City Council has canceled all council, city board and commission meetings through May, with the exception of the April 21 council meeting. Special meetings will be called, as needed.

▪ The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation moved the 20th Annual Cancer Crushing Breakfast scheduled for Thursday, April 2, at the Three Rivers Convention Center until June 9.

▪ The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce has postponed its annual meeting and awards luncheon set for March 18 at Three Rivers Convention Center. It will be rescheduled.

▪ The Blue Mountain Council of Boy Scouts of America has postponed its Friends of Scouting Leadership Breakfast with retired Gen. Jim Mattis on March 19. The breakfast is rescheduled to 7 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Pasco Red Lion, when Mattis will again be available.

Seattle area

▪ The Seattle Pacific Science Center, PacSci, is closing to the public starting Thursday, March 12. That includes all programs and events, both IMAX theaters, the Laser Dome, the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center and the Polliwog Preschool.

▪ The Taste of Washington, one of the state’s top wine and food festivals hosted by the Washington State Wine Commission, has been canceled due to COVID-19. The event, originally scheduled for March 19-22 in Seattle, is planning to return in 2021, according to an email from organizers.

▪ The Washington State Council of Fire Fighters announced on Facebook that the annual Fire Fighter Stair Climb in Seattle to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has been postponed. The event was originally scheduled for March 8 and 22, and the post said updates on rescheduling are upcoming.

If you have an event you would like included in this list, please email news@tricityherald.com.

This story was originally published March 6, 2020 at 11:51 AM.