COhatch The Market might be the new kid in town, but the business that opened its doors this month is proving to be an invested community player in response to COVID-19.
The nature of the COhatch space is to bring people together through meetings, restaurants, a commercial kitchen, events, and more. But now, while people can’t literally gather, so COhatch The Market will live stream Couch Fest tonight on the Springfield USA TV Facebook page.
This live concert will be streamed on the Springfield USA Facebook page from 6:30-11 p.m. tonight and will feature local musicians The American Landscape, Django Hatch, Aleeya Jones, Isicle, Elijah Seabrook, and TPHR.
“The reason we wanted to do this was to bring joy to people who aren’t feeling a lot of that right now,” says Joseph Harrison, community orchestrator for COhatch Springfield. “We know music, good food, and good drinks bring people together, but unfortunately we can’t actually do any of that together for now.”
COhatch The Market has teamed with these local musicians, The Market Bar, Ambient Productions, and Hatch New Media to host Couch Fest.
“We’re here trying to make some lemonade out of the lemons we’ve been given,” Harrison says. “We’re doing this for the community, by the community.”
If you’re feeling isolated, Harrison suggests trying to create the ambiance your senses would experience at a typical social gathering. Order takeout or delivery from a local restaurant to surround yourself with the delicious smells. Tune into the live concert to cut through the quiet. Gather with your family at home and connect with your friends online while you enjoy the experience together.
“At the end of the day, we can’t build community the way we’d love to, so we’re being as creative as possible to bridge the gap from a physical to a digital gathering.”
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