Why Concert-Goers Were Blocked From Red Rocks Concession Stands During Storm

Since a devastating hailstorm resulted in close to a hundred injuries at Red Rocks on June 21, the iconic outdoor concert venue has taken flak for failing to warn fans there for the Louis Tomlinson concert of the predicted severity of the incoming weather in time for people to seek shelter. And in the wake of the storm, many people on social media have suggested that various Red Rocks concession stands staffers prevented people from taking shelter at their stands.

In one video posted to Twitter, an unidentified staffer can be heard telling people to leave a sheltered area as heavy hail hits the ground nearby.

#redrocks #LouisTomlinson the stuff were really bad and selfish but the people were covering others in their jackets ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/GuxXUJj40t

— meshal alsubaie (@AlsubaieKWT) June 22, 2023

In another Twitter post, a fan described how he tried to take shelter in a concessions area but was blocked by an angry employee. He said he took “repeated hits to the back of the head” while out in the hail before eventually forcing his way into the area.

The fan later posted that he’d been diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome after a visit to the hospital.

According to food service company Aramark — which manages all the food vendors at Red Rocks — has a rule that anyone who is not an employee of the vendor or Aramark cannot go into the concession stand.

Travis Nicoletti owns Gringos Tacos, a vendor at Red Rocks and many other major venues in Denver. While his stand was not featured in the Twitter posts, he says that it did encounter guests attempting to use the area to seek shelter…and that they were turned away.

“They’re not allowed to come into the stand; that’s an Aramark rule,” says Nicoletti.

Nicoletti was not at Red Rocks on June 21, but heard about the situation from employees. He says that cashiers (who are employed by Aramark) and security guards (who are employed by another organization) told people to stay outside the concession stand.

“I mean, I get it, I get people want to come in and hide from the hail and stuff,” says Nicoletti. “But you can’t just do whatever you want in someone’s stand because of what’s going on outside.”

Nicoletti says he’s okay with the Aramark policy.

He would not have told his employees to let concert-goers into the stand, because he doesn’t want to “jeopardize my contract with Aramark,” he says. Nicoletti has multiple Gringos Tacos locations — all contracted through Aramark — and doing something that messes with that contract “could be pretty detrimental” to his business, he explains.

After two people weren’t allowed into the covered Gringos Tacos area, they apparently reached over the counter, grabbed two metal pans, dumped out the food and put the pans over their heads. Nicoletti posted a picture of the individuals. “Look at the disrespect, these people dumped our food out with no regard for our staff and made a complete mess… make em viral,” reads the Gringos Tacos Instagram post.

“You can’t just run in somewhere and start taking people’s stuff,” Nicoletti says, than adds, “It sucks that [the storm] happened. Hopefully, it never happens again.”

Aramark could not be reached for comment.

Fans should have been allowed to take shelter wherever possible, according to Brian Kitts, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Arts & Venues, which oversees Red Rocks. “That’s appalling if that’s what happened,” he says of reports that people were denied entry to concession areas.