First Weekend California Nightclubs Reopen At Full Capacity – NBC 7 San Diego

This weekend is the first weekend that people have gone out in a big way since California reopened on Tuesday. Return to your favorite bars, clubs and other nightlife activities without tier system or Covid related restrictions.

When the Gaslamp Quarter’s Parq nightclub last went into full operation, it was packed with more than 2,000 people and 50 Cent was scheduled to perform in a few weeks.

On Saturday night, the lights turned on for the first time in 469 days in a packed house.

Pandemic reminders were still visible in the crowd in the form of plexiglass, hand sanitizer stations, and staff masks. Most say the owner Carlos Besera was able to continue.

Last time@parqsdOpened at full capacity, packed with over 2,000 people, the club was preparing to play 50 cents.

Tonight, 469 days later, the full-capacity crowd will return to the state’s first fully reopened weekend.

More @ 8pm and 11pm@nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/EZLhZ9jVKO

— Allie Raffa (@AllieRaffa) June 20, 2021

But for a long time, the practice will be perfect.

“I think it was 6 or 7 hours last night. I’m sure there’s some twist tonight. It’s our first night,” Besera said. “But we’re blessed to be here and we can open Parq in San Diego to get it back and hopefully go back to where we left off. I’m definitely excited, but the music is playing. I think it will really go home when people come here tonight. “

Besera told NBC7 that she was able to continue her business thanks to the landlord’s rent break, but he is still waiting for a grant.

“By the nature of the industry, it’s hard to always say that we closed first and then reopened last … many people have left the hospitality industry … I can’t really blame them. “He said.

Kevin Hellman of the San Diego Event Coalition said that when the business closed in March 2020, more than 200,000 San Diegoans in the live event industry were affected.

“In the event industry, we’re a group of crazy people, but they’re pretty resilient,” he said. “We are in the business of making people happy, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Hermann says the struggle makes the comeback even sweeter.

“San Diego will be back soon. We’re doing a lot, and I think you’ll start seeing the next few weeks fill up with different events every weekend,” he said. Told. “This will be an exciting time. Let’s say people have been sitting at home for a long time. If you want to go out, you have something to do.”

Becerra says he has already booked performers over the next few weekends and is looking forward to a busy summer.