COMMERCE CITY, CO (CelebrityAccess) — Organizers for Phish’s annual 3-night Labor Day stand at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park were forced to suspend plans for camping at the event this year due to an outbreak of bubonic plague among local prairie dogs.
In a statement addressing the outbreak, Phish said: “As you may have heard, there have been ongoing cases of plague in prairie dog colonies in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge this summer. Fortunately, the Tri-County Health Department has advised that Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (DSGP) is safe to host Phish’s concerts over Labor Day weekend. While there have been no confirmed cases of plague on-site at DSGP, as an extra measure of caution, the Health Department has restricted parking at the venue to asphalt lots — concertgoers will not be allowed to park on unpaved lots or grass.”
“As a result, we are sorry to say that there will be no overnight camping allowed for this year’s shows. All camping tickets and RV tickets (and associated service charges) will be automatically refunded within the next few days. We recognize the tremendous inconvenience this may cause for those who had planned on camping,” organizers added.
In addition to no camping, the music fest has canceled on-site vending as well, in order to repurpose the area for additional on-asphalt parking.
As well, organizers have created a special portal with listings of nearby hotels including some with discounted weekend rates to help accommodate fans looking for a place to hang their hats for the weekend.
Bubonic plague is responsible for approximately 80 percent of plague cases in the United States every year, according to the CDC. Globally, there are about 650 documented cases a year, which result in about 120 deaths annually, the World Health Organization estimates.
The disease is transferred from host to host via flea bites, bites from infected animals, or exposure to fluids from an infected animal.
