EASTHAMPTON — Nonotuck Park is suspending its entrance fee for the 2021 season in an effort to limit staff exposure to COVID-19.
The park usually charges a $4 entrance fee on weekends or holidays during June, July and August, and a $3 fee for off-season entrance on weekends. But this year, visitors can skip the booth at the entrance to the park.
“We didn’t want someone exposed to so many people at the booth,” Samantha Pliska, principal clerk at the Easthampton Parks & Recreation Department, said of the decision to halt entrance fees for the year.
While the free entrance is likely a welcome change for park users, it won’t be sticking around, according to Pliska. She said the Parks & Recreation Department plans to implement the fee once again in 2022.
During a usual year, the entrance fee is needed for any park activity, from attending a youth baseball game to using the park’s pool.
Revenue from the fees goes directly to a general city fund, rather than specifically to the Parks & Recreation Department.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.