Brewster Founder’s Day to Become Fall Festival in September
By Neal Rentz
Fans of the annual Brewster Founder’s Day need not be too disappointed that it will no longer be held.
The event will be replaced by the Brewster Fall Festival, which will feature many of the same aspects of Founders Day with a few new touches, two of the organizers of the new event said last week.
The Cultural Arts Coalition will run the new Fall Festival, Arts Coalition President Judy Marano said last week. The Coalition for a Better Brewster told the Village in April it they would be unable to run the Annual Founder’s Day event, which was held every September on Main Street, Marano noted.
“Many were disappointed that the annual tradition was in jeopardy of being cancelled unless another organization picked up the reigns,” Marano stated in recent press.
The Coalition for a Better Brewster ran the Founder’s Day street fair for more than 25 years.
On May 23, the Brewster Board of Trustees approved the Cultural Arts Coalition’s request to turn Brewster Founder’s Day into the Brewster Fall Festival on May 23. The event is scheduled for Sunday, September 9, rain or shine.
The Arts Coalition decided to run the Fall Festival as both a way to help revitalize the village and raise funds for the renovation of The Old Town Hall Theater, located at 67 Main St., which is underway, Marano said last week. The Arts Coalition coordinated the annual Brewster Music Festival that was held on June 9 at Wells Park.
“This event is too important to the residents, businesses, and organizations of our community. We need to continue the tradition,” Margaret Carey, director of public relations for the Arts Coalition, stated in a recent press release. “It is the day where we all can walk up and down Main Street to find out about all the exciting things Brewster has to offer while meeting friends and neighbors along the way.”
Carey said some residents have said about the loss of Founder’s Day, “I’m so sad to see it go away,” they said, but the Fall Festival will replace it.
Marano said the Festival will include both elements of Founder’s Day with new programs that have not been decided upon by her organization.
The Arts Coalition is developing a website that contains information on registering for vendor space, food booths, entertainment and more regarding the Fall Festival
The Arts Coalition has scheduled a meeting about the Fall Festival for June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Studio Around the Corner, which is located at the back entrance of 67 Main St. in Brewster. The Arts Coalition is requesting residents to visit www.BrewsterFallFestival.com for updated information, to sign up for the e-newsletter, to express an interest in having a vendor booth space or to RSVP to the June 18 interest meeting. Sponsorship opportunities are available and interested parties should contact brewsterfallfestival@gmail.com.
