By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND — Santa’s Workshop, hosted by the Great Bend Recreation Commission at the City Auditorium, is a huge event for children and their families in December. The free Christmas program allows children to walk around to booths for food, craft activities and to visit with Santa.
This holiday season would have marked the 24th Annual Santa’s Workshop, but GBRC has decided to cancel this year’s workshop due to COVID-19 concerns.
Rec Center Executive Director Diann Henderson says social distancing would be too difficult with the way the program is designed.
"It would be difficult with the number of people we have on the gym floor, balcony and the lines," said Henderson. "The building is not conducive to social distancing when we you have 800, 1,000 or 1,500 people in that building."
In reviewing Barton County Health Department and CDC guidelines, mass gatherings should be cancelled if individuals will be in close contact with each other.
GBRC is working to create another holiday event for families to
replace Santa’s Workshop this year.
"We would like to host something that is perhaps smaller and allows us
to reach out to our families around the holiday time," Henderson said.
Many community volunteers assist the Recreation Commission staff each year with
transforming City Auditorium into Santa’s Workshop.