Greetings all!  First, let me thank everyone for your input via the survey sent last week in regards to the various activities and mask preferences for PCB this year.  This helps greatly in planning the Feast!  With that in mind, we have a few announcements: 

Opening Night Service: 

            Just a reminder our first service is on Monday evening, September 20th at 7:00 PM. 

Masks: 

Masks Optional Areas – The main auditorium (the Grand Palm Room), and the hallway areas will be masks optional.  You are free to wear a mask anywhere you choose, but masks are not required in these areas.  If you do choose to wear a mask, please remember that masks with slogans or images that are inappropriate should not be worn. 

Masks Required Seating – The Sago Palm Room 2 (directly across from the main auditorium) will be set aside as a masks required area.  Masks must be worn at all time in this room before, during and after church services.  Masks with slogans or images that are inappropriate should not be worn.  Unfortunately, due to capacity limitations, we will not be able to offer social distancing, or have bathrooms set aside for mask only use.   

Festival Bulletin: 

Due to several ongoing updates, we are unable to print the normal quantity of Festival Bulletins ahead of time for the Feast this year.  The bulletin will be posted online as a few days before the Feast.  We ask that those with smartphones download a digital copy to their device for use throughout the Feast.  We will have a limited quantity of printed bulletins available at the information table for those who do not have smartphone or internet access (one per family please). 

Parking: 

Handicapped Parking – For those in need of handicapped parking, please contact Dan Preston via email at dan_preston@ucg.org or by call or text at (513) 324-6156.  We will arrange for you pick up a special temporary parking pass at the beginning of the Feast. 

Those staying at Edgewater – Please use the pedestrian bridge to cross over to services each day.  As in the past, trams will be running before and after services each day. 

Those not staying at Edgewater – Please park at the Shoppes at Edgewater and cross Richard Jackson Blvd.               at the crosswalk. 

Seniors Luncheon: 

The senior's luncheon at Capt. Jack's family restaurant on Thursday, September 23rd from 12:30-2:30 pm. This is a private event and we will have exclusive use of the restaurant during our luncheon. The cost is $12, however if you are unable to pay, please sign up to come anyway!  Donations to helps offset the cost are welcomed. Ages 65 and up and spouses. Masks are optional and there will be no social distancing. 

Teen Activity: 

There will be a 'Bonfire on the Beach' after sunset on the First Holy Day, Tuesday, September 21st from 7-10 PM. Come party on the beach with friends old and new and get the Feast going! A $5 donation per teen is suggested. For ages 12-19. Masks are optional and there will be no social distancing. PARENTS: this activity will be supervised by parent volunteers. 

Family Day: 

Family Day will be at Rock-It! Lanes on Friday, September 24th from 12:30-5:30 pm. This is a private event and we will have exclusive use of the facility. The cost is $14 per person (ages 5 and under free).  If you are unable to pay, please sign up to come anyway.  Donations to help offset the cost are welcomed.  For all ages. Masks are optional and there will be no social distancing. 

Wristbands: 

Special wristbands will be required to enter the main auditorium as well as the masked seating area for church services each day.  These special wristbands are not required for fellowship in the hallway, at the hospitalities or the Bible studies.  Please note these are different than the wristbands you receive when you check in with Edgewater or that you received from the rental property you are using.  Those wristbands are required to be on the Edgewater property and have a small service charge associated with them.  The wristbands required to enter the auditorium and masked seating section are FREE.  Depending on your housing situation, it’s very possible you could be wearing two wristbands this year! 

Before detailing how to pick up your FREE wristbands for the auditorium, please remember that if you were accepted to PCB this year, but have decided not to attend in person services, please update your registration to ‘Celebrating the Feast At Home/Online 2021.’  You can do this by logging into your https://www.ucg.org/ account and going to ‘My Registrations’ and then clicking on ‘Change Sites.’  If you need help to do this, please contact your local festival advisor. 

For those who are registered and accepted to Panama City Beach this year and will be attending services each day, we will be distributing wristbands on Monday, September 20th from 2-4 PM and from 5:30 – 6:45 PM as well as Tuesday, September 21st from 12:00 – 1:45 PM at the Information Table at the Edgewater Convention Center.  Services begin at 7:00 PM on Monday evening and 2:00 PM on Tuesday. 

In order to expedite this process and cut down on the wait time to claim wristbands, they will need to be claimed by household.  For example, if a group of 4 people are sharing accommodations and registered under one household for the Feast, then one person from that household should come to the information desk to claim the wristbands for the entire household.  Likewise, if 4 people are sharing accommodations, but are registered under 4 different households, all 4 individuals will need to come to claim their individual wristband. 

In order to claim your wristbands, you will need to confirm the household name, the number of people registered in your party and the congregation that was listed as your home congregation.  You can confirm this information by logging into your account at https://www.ucg.org/  clicking on your name in the upper corner and clicking on ‘My Registrations.’  You can then click on ‘View Registration’ next to where it says ‘Panama City Beach, Florida 2021.’  This will show the household name, number of attendees and the home congregation that was used for the registration.  

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email or call/text at the number below.  I look forward to seeing all of you very soon! 

Best Regards, 

Dan Preston  

Feast Coordinator – PCB 2021 

(513) 324-6156