The Kentucky Derby will have fans in the stands when it takes place on Sept. 5, NBC News reports.
While “The Run for the Roses” horse race won’t have its typical crowd of 150,000 spectators, the Churchill Downs grandstands won’t be empty, officials announced Thursday.
“We are going to conduct Derby Week with fans," Churchill Downs president Kevin Flanery told reporters in Louisville, Ky. “It's going to be a different experience. This is a different year."
The event, which is typically held on the first Saturday in May, was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Flanery said he had ongoing discussions with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and state health officials over the decision to bring spectators back to the track for the race.
He did not say how many fans will be allowed to watch the race, but said there will be "reduced capacities throughout the facility."
Typically, spectators fill 60,000 permanent seats and then the rest of the tickets are general admission passes.
Officials said they plan to cut the general admission by more than 60% and reduce the number in reserved seats by up to 50%, NBC News reports.
The reserved seats have already been purchased, so the venue is hoping some people will opt out of attending.
"We are in the process of contacting each one of those seat holders to discuss their interest in attending: Do they still want the seats?" Churchill Downs spokesman Darren Rogers told NBC News.
General admission holders will be limited to just the infield, which is a change from previous years where fans could access some of the facility's first floor.
The entire facility is 1.6 million square feet. Flanery said he thinks fans will be able to attend safely, but plans to do so are still in the works.
"We will continue to be nimble," he said. "We will adjust to the facts as they are in the moment. But we have to make plans."
Notable changes so far are the elimination of buffets, all tickets will be mobile, betting windows will have markers to keep fans distanced and internet access will be enhanced so attendees can place their bets on their phones.
All employees will be required to wear masks and possibly gloves. Attendees will be asked to cover their faces, but Flanery said masks will not be mandatory.
"We're going to be encouraging everybody to wear the mask," he said. "We'll work with folks. We're going to encourage them to do it. We'll be gently reminding folks."
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