GILLETTE, Wyo. — The Energy Capital Sports Complex will be off-limits to the public during daylight hours for the week of the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee following a decision by the Gillette City Council on Tuesday.
Scheduled for Gillette in August 2024, the camporee is a major six-day religious festival put on by the Seventh Day Adventist Church. It is projected to bring 55,000 people to the community and will be closed to the public.
During its meeting on May 16, the council voted to approve a measure granting the camporee exclusive use of the ESCS and its facilities between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Aug. 6 to Aug. 9, 2024.
According to the agreement, the camporee will pay the city a nominal fee of $5 per day to use the soccer fields, softball fields, concession areas, and splash park at the ECSC, which will still be available for the public to use before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
City Administrator Hyun Kim confirmed during the meeting that the closure is for the camporee to maintain security for its attendees, the majority of which will be juveniles.
Councilmember Tricia Simonson was the only one to vote against the measure, saying that she was doing so because she did not agree with the ECSC being closed to the public or how much the city was charging the camporee to use it.
Simonson said she was not willing to support the agreement as it stands, though she would be willing to discuss potential amendments.
