Dear Registered Daytona Feastgoers:

The beginning of the Feast is just a week from sunset this evening!   

As you prepare to leave (or maybe have already left) let me provide you with some final information and “to do” points you may need to attend to. 

Please read through this entire email so you are aware of what you need to know before you come to Daytona.  Some items require your attention within the next few days.    

1.    Opening Night services will be held at 7:30 pm on Monday evening, Sep 20.  First Holyday services are Tuesday, Sep 28 at 2:30 pm.

2.   We have had a change in meeting room at the Ocean Center!  The Main Meeting Room will now be the 94,000 square feet Exhibit Hall, where we met last year.  There is ample room for social distancing in this very spacious area.  

3.    We will still have a Masks Only Room for those who prefer.  It will be Meeting Room 102.    So that you can familiarize yourself with the Ocean Center, I will send by email later a Site Plan for the Center that shows entrances, exits, and the avenues leading into the Center.

4.    There will be two drop-off points for passengers who need assistance into the hall.

A.    For those who will be seated in the Masks Only Room, your drop-off is on Auditorium Blvd, at the main entrance to the Center, halfway “down” the building.  This is called the South Entrance.  Special Services staff will be stationed there.  As you enter here, the Mask Room is to your right, down the hall to well-marked, large Meeting Room 102.

B.   For those who will sit in the Exhibit Hall (the “main hall”) your drop-off point will be inside the West Parking Lot, which is our designated parking area this year.  The entrance to the West Lot is off of Auditorium Blvd.   See the Site Plan.  Special Services personnel will also be available there to assist you.   Entry into the Exhibit Hall is directly from the West parking lot. 

5.   Parking Passes:  The West parking lot is where everyone will park, as we have contracted for its exclusive use during the Feast.  You will need to have a parking pass displayed on your dashboard for entry into the lot.  I will attempt to email the Parking Pass to each household directly later this evening, but in no case later than this coming Wednesday, Sep 15.  If you do not receive by then, email me.

Please have your parking pass visible on your dashboard as you enter the West Lot.  If you don’t have it for the first few services, just let the attendant know you are with the Feast of Tabernacles and they will let you in. 

6.   There is handicapped parking available in the West Parking Lot.   If you have a state-issued handicap tag, please enter the West Lot from the Auditorium Blvd entrance and you will see the handicapped spaces.  If you do not have a state tag and signed up or need close parking, please see the Special Services crew upon your arrival and you will be given a tag.  We will be reserving extra spaces in the Lot for those who need them.

4.   Masks or face coverings.  The current mask guideline in Daytona is that you should wear masks into the Ocean Center, but you may remove them when you come into the Main Meeting Hall (The Exhibit Hall). Except for the Masks room, there will be no mask requirements in the main meeting area; however, appropriate social distancing and precautions should be taken in light of the pandemic.   Masks are required to be worn in the Masks Only Room (Meeting Room 102).  

5.   Hymnals.  As a reminder, we plan to project hymn lyrics, but if you want to use a hymnal, you will need to bring your personal copy.  No hymnals will be distributed or available at the Feast.

6.  Hard of hearing.  If you are hard of hearing and need a headset for services, please go to the sound booth upon arrival at services and discuss this with the crew.  We have a limited number of hard of hearing headsets, but should have enough for those who indicated this when registering. 

7.  Family Day at the Daytona Lagoon Water Park and Family Entertainment Center.   If you plan to come to the Family Day on Thursday, Sep 23 (see previous posts at the Daytona Feast site under feast.ucg.org, click on Posts) we would encourage you to purchase tickets online ahead of time. This Wednesday, September 15 will be the last day to purchase tickets on line.  Please purchase by 4 pm. 

8.  Seniors Lunch on Friday, Sep 24.   We will need to know how many plan to attend the Seniors Lunch.  Right now registration shows 141 have signed up for seniors activities, so we have 150 spaces reserved for the Lunch.  If you did not sign up at registration, but would like to attend, I need to know this week so that additional places and meals can be ordered.  Please email me. 

9.   As you check into your hotel, condo, or rental house please be advised that the Church will need to document room nights in order for the Convention Bureau to reimburse the Church for costs of the parking lot, which we have rented separately.  We will talk more about this at the Feast, but if you booked through VRBO, AirBnB, or are staying at a hotel not listed in the Feast brochure or under the housing tab at the Daytona Feast site, we would like to have a copy of your housing receipt when you leave the Feast so we can document room nights.  Again, we will talk about this more later.  This is for your attention as you check in so you may make the establishment aware.

10.  Daytona Feast brochures will be handed out at the Feast site, but prior to then, I will post the pdf copy of it at the Daytona Feast site page.  Watch for updates once the brochure is posted online. 

Thank you for your attention.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or our Assistant Coordinator, Doug Wendt. 

May God be with you all on your travels to Daytona.  We look forward to spending this Feast with all of you.

Rick Shabi
Daytona Feast Coordinator