Strawberry Fest, Sumpter Fest canceled

In the last few weeks, residents of the tri-community learned two big festivals of the year have been canceled for this May and June because of COVID-19.
At the March 24 Sumpter Township Board of Trustees’ meeting, Trustee Don Swinson, the board liaison to the Parks and Recreation Commission, announced the commission decided to have no Sumpter Country Festival this year.
The festival, which was scheduled for Memorial Day week end, May 23-25, would have honored the 180th anniversary of Sumpter becoming a township. Trustee Swinson said they would celebrate the 181st anniversary in 2021.
“It’s sad … It’s a shame … but I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Swinson said.
Then, on April 1, Belleville’s Interim City Manager Tracey Schultz Kobylarz, sent out a letter to the Strawberry Festival Committee and others stating that through the emergency management powers bestowed upon her by the city council, she was canceling the city’s participation and withdrawing all approvals of associated activities of the National Strawberry Festival this year.
She said this was due to the on-going COVID-19 crisis and the city must do everything in its power to ensure the health and safety of city residents, city staff, and businesses.
The Strawberry Festival is held on Father’s Day week end each year and this year was scheduled for June 19, 20, and 21.
At the Feb. 18 meeting of the city council, before there was any consideration of COVID-19, there was a lengthy discussion on whether the festival should be canceled because its quality had fallen over the years. On March 2, Mayor Kerreen Conley stated, “It’s late in the game to stop it this year.” She added that next year they can put life back into the festival and make it something the city can be more proud of.
Although the city approvals necessary to make the festival happen were on the March 5 council agenda, no action was taken. Then the novel coronavirus surged forward and the festival was cancelled.
The CBC Flop-E-Bunny candy hunt on April 11 had previously been canceled, along with the Sumpter Township Egg Hunt for April 4.
Janet Millard, festival treasurer and event coordinator for the Belleville Central Business Community, said the CBC is considering having the Flop-E-Bunny candy hunt in July, if possible.
She said the CBC was sending out the refunds on April 8 to those crafters who sent in checks of $125 each to reserve 32 booth spaces on Main Street for this year’s Strawberry Festival. Of that, the CBC got $100 for each booth and the festival got $25 for each booth.
The Canton Liberty Fest, scheduled for June 18-20, the same week end each year as Strawberry Festival, had not been canceled as of Monday.