As further COVID-19 restrictions indicate the prolonging of quarantining, an unexpected announcement from BottleRock Napa Valley brings the potential of a live show back to center stage. With COVID-19 continuing to maintain a very potent presence in the US, the majority of planned live shows have been and continue to be delayed, rescheduled, or cancelled altogether. However, one local festival has announced that their next show may be sooner than those missing festivals might have expected: BottleRock Napa Valley.

With COVID-19 dominating the entertainment industry over the course of 2020, many different mediums have been forced to adapt. Modified film and television shoots, voice acting being done from home, virtual concerts, the list goes on. However, one particularly affected type of entertainment has been theater. Between the lack of opened theatres and the risk of in-person contact, live theater has been struggling to maintain a presence this year, with major theaters like Broadway putting shows on hold until May at the least. Local fans of the theater need not worry about a lack of content, however, as Sonoma State University’s own Theatre Arts and Dance put on a pandemic friendly performance this weekend entitled, “The Connection Collection”.

In the wave of new streaming shows coming out this fall, Disney’s “The Mandalorian” has returned to Disney+ after receiving critical acclaim for its first season on Friday, Oct. 30th. This season, which is set to be released every Friday, picks up right where the first season left off, with a brief recap for those who haven’t seen the series since the first season aired back in Nov. of last year.

On Oct. 22, President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden had their final debate of the campaign. Saturday Night Live was quick to respond that weekend with the release of their take on the debate. Alec Baldwin and Jim Carrey reprised their roles as Trump and Biden respectively, with Maya Rudolph joining in the role of moderator Kristen Welker. While the episode that night was hosted by Adele, she was not present in the cold open.

As the effects of the COVID-19 shutdowns continue to make themselves known in many industries, another business is at risk of shutting down. Independently owned and operated music venues across the country, numbering over 2,900 locations in total, have been suffering the effects of the virus and shutdown. These venues have been experiencing a complete shutdown of all business, and a subsequent lack of any revenue for their business. Many are on the brink of not making it through the pandemic, with the fear of going out of business ever present.

As COVID-19 continues to linger across the country, companies are continuing to seek out new ways to reach their customers, as many industries have been forced to adapt. The music industry is one such group. While there have been some bands that have unsuccessfully attempted to hold a safe concert amidst the pandemic, the close-quarters nature of concerts and raves have led to a general absence of live music this year. California based record companies Insomniac Records and Vital Events are taking a different approach, however, with a series of what they’re calling “PARK ‘N RAVE” concerts, which allow for socially distanced raves.

When first shown the colorful, bean-shaped characters of “Among Us,” one’s first thoughts might be of the other incredibly popular game that took 2020 by storm, “Fall Guys.” Instead of a party game that’s all about flashy, social obstacle courses, “Among Us” is a quiet murder mystery set on a lonely spaceship.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden had the first debate of the election. Topics of the night included the response to COVID, Trump’s tax situation, issues of race, and more.

As of Wednesday, Sep. 23, the California State University Board of Trustees elected Joseph Castro to be the next CSU Chancellor following Timothy White’s retirement at the end of the year. Castro, a first generation college student and current President of Fresno State, will be the first person of color to serve as CSU Chancellor in the roughly 60 year line of 7 previous chancellors.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at 87 on Friday, September 18, due to complications from her 11 year battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This comes at the end of a 27 year term on the Supreme Court, and involvement in many historical cases over the course of her career.

Amidst spikes in temperatures and high winds, the fires across California continue to burn and, as reported by the Press Democrat, have produced enough smoke to cause record-breaking bad air quality across the Bay Area.

As the year of COVID-19 marches on, new regulations are being pushed out statewide, and businesses are receiving new guidelines for pandemic operations. In an announcement by the Office of The County Administrator for Sonoma, several types of businesses will be allowed to reopen safely this week with the implementation of new orders by Governor Gavin Newsom.