Old Town Scottsdale may be bustling with people, but some still concerned about pandemic

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Old Town Scottsdale is lit for the holidays.

Hundreds of people took to the restaurants, bars, and shops on Friday night.

"We just got some tacos and some drinks, and we're just exploring the city more," said Brianna Maglio.

"Just want to get out of the house, order some food," said Devotion Cameron.

Bars like the Coach House are serving up a mix of holiday fun while also following health guidelines for social distancing, and requiring staff to wear masks.

And restaurant-goers say they felt perfectly comfortable dining out and exploring downtown.

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"We felt very safe. All the waiters and waitresses had their masks on. We obviously had our masks off being seated, but we felt safe," Maglio said.

But some customers at other area restaurants weren't so thrilled about the number of people out on the street.

"Nervous. It makes you really nervous. But it's kind of like, what do you do at this point?" Cameron said.

Cameron and her daughter Jamila had planned to dine out, but once they saw the crowds they opted for take-out.

"There are a lot of people around and they're not really wearing masks so the chances of catching something are just heightened which makes me uncomfortable," Jamila said.

And while the season of joy is here, in all the festivities, Jamila says she doesn't want people to ignore the pandemic.

"Please, social distancing is super important, you never know it makes a difference in somebody's life," Jamila said.

Right now, under rules from the Arizona Department of Health Services, bars and restaurants are supposed to be operating at a 50% capacity.

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