Birmingham, MI – The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber’s 58th annual Birmingham Village Fair scheduled to be held June 2 – June 6 in Birmingham’s Shain Park has been cancelled due to Covid 19 safety concerns.
The four-day event is a long-standing community tradition and a critical fundraiser for more than 20 local nonprofit organizations. In addition to being the Chamber’s major fundraiser, local nonprofits like the Birmingham Lions Club, Birmingham Youth Assistance and Birmingham Rotary Club also receive proceeds from the fair through grants.
In an email to the BBChamber, City of Birmingham Fire Chief and Emergency Manager, Paul Wells, cited a potential extension to the MDHHS emergency order that limits attendees at events and an increase in statewide hospitalizations along with the spread of additional variants of the COVID-19 virus as reasons for cancelling the event. Chief Wells sated “this decision that I have made is in the best interest of the public health and safety of the residents of Birmingham as well as any visitors this event would invite inside the City.”
A permit to hold the fair was previously approved by the Birmingham City Commission, pending further review.
“The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber is disappointed to have to cancel this event for the second consecutive year,” said Chamber President Joe Bauman. “We know how important this iconic fair is for local residents and the crucial role it plays in pumping economic development dollars into the downtown, but we must always place the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, residents and guests first and foremost.”
Bauman added the Chamber looks forward to a return of the Village Fair in 2022.
“With so much uncertainty surrounding if, when, and under what circumstances large outdoor events will be permitted in the city going forward, it makes it extremely difficult to try and reschedule them for later in the year,” Bauman explained. “We worry losing another full season of outdoor events like the Village Fair, art fairs, Day on the Town, Dream Cruise and Farmer’s Markets will be another crushing blow to downtown Birmingham merchants who rely on the influx of visitors during the summer to support their businesses, but we really have no choice other than begin planning for 2022.”
The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber is a membership organization dedicated to promoting the economic development, strengthen the business climate and improve the quality of life in the six communities it serves, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and Franklin.
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