As of Friday (July 16), in conjunction with Ontario's movement to Step 3 in the provincial reopening, Grand River Raceway is expanding their capacity to 1,500 spectators, and no pre-registration is required.

Moving into Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen Ontario provides Grand River Raceway with the opportunity to bring back its much missed spectators into both outdoor and indoor spaces. Spectators don’t need to register to attend, but passive COVID screening is in effect, and guests will be welcomed to the track if they:

• Have no symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, or shortness of breath)
• Have not travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days
• Have not been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19

Guests will be reminded to practice social distancing and keep 2 metres (6 feet) of space between themselves and others.

So, what can you expect at Grand River Raceway?

Step 3 will be a transition “back to business as usual” with up to 11 races every Monday, Wednesday, Friday race night. Post time is 6:30 p.m., and guests will be welcomed from 5:30 p.m. onwards.

Indoor and outdoor spaces will be available but with no assigned seating.

All guests looking to watch racing will enter from the east side of the main building (left) or through the new GrandWay Event Centre main doors, and can move freely between all spaces on the site. At this time, the doors to the Casino will be restricted for Casino patrons only.

All food and beverage will be served from The GrandWay lounge, with a range of pub food and beverages. We will continue to serve takeout style, and guests are invited to enjoy their meal indoors in the GrandWay Lounge, or trackside in the heart of the action.

Mutuel tellers will be onsite to take bets on the Patio, in the GrandWay Lounge, and on the second floor of the Casino building (accessible only from the tarmac). There will be self-serve stations available in all of these locations and also in the Tarmac Tent. All betting takes place in cash, and there is an ATM on site.

Programs can be purchased from any of the mutuel teller locations, the bar, or downloaded free of charge at https://grandriverraceway.com/programs/.

Washroom access will be on the second floor of the main building and in The GrandWay.

The Neighbourhood activities and trackside entertainment won't resume at this time.

Elements Casino is scheduled to reopen on Friday (July 16). Please refer to their website for their protocols.

Simulcast wagering will be available seven days a week, from noon, in The GrandWay Lounge. Daily closures will vary depending on the race card, but are anticipated between 11-11:30 p.m.

"We are incredibly excited to open to guests, and certainly appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate this new way of operating," says Katie Giddy, director of hospitality, sales and marketing. "We are certainly doing everything we can to be prepared and invite guest to Expect an Experience."

For those not able to attend in person, the live racing broadcast every race night at this link.

(Grand River Raceway)