‘Great American Tailgate’ on Moms’ Day culminates COVID weekend events

Melanie Salins and Amber Poe Morris welcome attendees to a Mothers’ Day celebration and ‘tailgate’ party that spilled out of cars and into Front Royal’s Historic Downtown Village Commons area. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini

A weekend of events expressing a life must go on attitude – even under Coronavirus 2019 pandemic emergency management guidelines and gubernatorial orders – culminated with Sunday’s (May 10th) “Virginia Rising” sponsored “Great American Tailgate” celebrating Mother’s Day and encouraging patronizing downtown Front Royal businesses.

Co-organizers Melanie Salins and Amber Poe Morris noted the two-pronged emphasis of the event stressing adherence to suggested social distancing standards.

“Please help us avoid issues with the tailgate by adhering (to) these guidelines,” event fliers posted around the Town Gazebo/Village Commons area asked patrons.

There was also a “Sanitizing Station” available for hand cleaning and a table set up distributing face masks for donations.

Above, organizers Salins and Morris man the sanitizing station; below the event’s call for adherence to recommended social distancing standards, which seemed at least semi-successful.

While there was a food truck open for business near the Town’s closed Visitors Center, Salins pointed out that attendees were being encouraged to visit downtown restaurants that were open for carryout business up and down East Main Street.

Organizers provided a generator to power two musical acts that provided entertainment from the Gazebo stage during the late morning to mid-afternoon celebration of moms in particular, and community and small business survival in general.

Front Royal’s own Meisha Herron opened the musical offerings with a solo vocal and guitar performance that began with Marvin Gaye’s classic “What’s Going On” and its timely opening verses:

“Mother, mother
“There’s too many of you crying.
“Brother, brother, brother
“There’s far too many of you dying.
“You know we’ve got to find a way
“To bring some lovin’ here today, eh eh.
“Father, father
“We don’t need to escalate
“You see, war is not the answer
“For only love can conquer hate
“You know we’ve got to find a way
“To bring some lovin’ here today, oh oh oh.”

Above, Meisha Herron, center, began the musical entertainment with Marvin Gaye’s, “Mother, Mother” opening refrain to his classic ‘What’s Going On’ call for peace and reconciliation among families and society as a whole. Below, Culpeper’s Atlantic Aesthetic played two sets of diversified material from improvisational, jazz-tinged pieces to old favorites like Bob Marley’s ‘I Shot the Sheriff’.

Following Herron to the Gazebo stage was Atlantic Aesthetic, a stellar three-piece from Culpeper, Salins told Royal Examiner. They showed a diversified repertoire through two sets.

It wasn’t just the kids who were excited to get out of pandemic home lockdown – adults mingled, sometimes remembering that 5 to 6-foot social distancing standard. Some violations appeared to be families who have been non-separated at home anyway.

Overall it was a fairly well-attended, well-intended effort to move toward some semblance of normalcy in this 2020 pandemic health and emergency management environment. Hopefully, no harm, as in rising County COVID-19 statistics, will come from it.

Above, kids were an important part of ‘The Great American Tailgate’ effort to interact within the ‘new normal’ of pandemic emergency management requirements. Below, C&C Frozen Treats William Huck and wife Nina dance to the music of Atlantic Aesthetic one day after their pared-back ‘Family Fun Day’ car parade around town.

Other events centered in downtown Front Royal this weekend were C&C Frozen Treats William Huck’s pared-back Family Fun Day Car Parade through town; and an “Open Warren County and Virginia” rally sponsored by Sam Haun of the Warren County Militia. Both events were Saturday, May 9. The “Open” rally drew a modest crowd of about eight to 10 while Royal Examiner was there, though Haun noted the earlier departure of about 10 other participants.

Gary Kushner with a sign, surrounded by ‘Open WC & VA’ demonstration participants on Saturday afternoon at the Gazebo/Commons area.

Coincidentally, former Front Royal councilman, vice mayor, and unsuccessful 2019 county supervisor’s candidate Shae Parker contacted us Sunday afternoon, May 10, to note what appears to have been a spike in local COVID-19 statistics, including the county’s first death, in the past week.

Numbers Parker presented Royal Examiner indicated jumps in Warren County COVID-19 statistics from Sunday to Sunday, May 3rd to May 10th of:

1 – cases from 61 to 85 (about +40%);

2 – hospitalizations from 3 to 9 (+200%);

3 – and that first death (technically +100%).

So while the county’s numbers remain low compared to more urban and metro areas, as predicted the county appears to be about two weeks behind the statistical curves for Virginia as a whole.

What does it all mean?

Perhaps, that while we can negotiate standards of emergency management for institutional consistencies and small business re-opening guidelines, it is probably best to proceed with caution and some continued social distancing standards in the coming weeks. For we continue to traverse an unfamiliar public health landscape that has shown an ability to rapidly accelerate statistically without the type of community-wide testing that has been shown most successful in suppressing the virus’s spread.

The lack of availability of testing kits to allow such definitive testing to identify everyone who is contaminated within given communities continues.

So, stay safe; stay smart, and support our local businesses as they operate on limited scales or are allowed to re-open conditionally in the coming weeks.

This group of kids and adults by the town caboose was social distancing from the primary crowd.

Masks were available …

… tho not many appeared to be taking advantage of them – including your photographer, guilty as charged.

Running, sitting, being carried, or getting ready to fly – the kids were taking advantage of their time outside together.

C&C Fun Day Parade Highlights

William Huck provided the Royal Examiner with these parade facts: 3 hours about 10 motorcycles, 20 cars, and 2 floats, including the Edward Jones ‘bull’, Jig & Jive, and a few other businesses.
Some got all the way through some had some hiccups on the road. It was such a beautiful day. A big thank you to all that participated in this cruise through town. Here are just a few photos courtesy of C&C Frozen Treats.