Baldwinsville’s end of the summer celebration, aptly named Celebrate Baldwinsville, has been cancelled — at least for the foreseeable future.
After several years of poor weather that contributed to poor participation numbers, the Celebrate Baldwinsville committee decided to take a break.
“You work so hard for the caliber of event that we do then the weather ruins it,” said Celebrate Baldwinsville committee member Mace Markham. “But the weather’s the weather, and with the same members for the past 10 years, with a couple of minor changes, the committee just got tired.”
Celebrate Baldwinsville began as a village birthday celebration with a winter festival. The committee received permission to shut down Route 48 between Genesee and Elizabeth streets for the one day event and continued the winter tradition for a couple of years before moving the event to the fall.
The goal of Celebrate Baldwinsville was to put on an event at no cost to the public that showcased the village and provided a venue for community organizations to raise money.
“Celebrate Baldwinsville never got away from trying to get not for profits and booster clubs at our event,” Markham said. “They were always our first choice before pursuing professional food service.”
Markham noted a comment made by the Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce regarding Celebrate Baldwinsville and wanted to set the record straight.
“I feel the chamber was wrong to suggest we lost our focus towards not-for-profits and booster clubs. They really should have checked with the committee before they put things in their article that were not factual.”
Markham said the Celebrate Baldwinsville Committee remains a viable organization, continuing to focus on smaller events including the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and the Special Olympics in Syracuse. The committee will also continue funding the $1,000 Celebrate Baldwinsville scholarship, which is awarded to a graduating Baker student at the annual Moving Up Day ceremony held in May.
“Thanks to all the committee members who over the years put in countless hours to provide a top quality event,” Markham said. “It’s a labor of love to put an event like this on. You really have to enjoy what you do because it takes a lot of sacrifice to put event together and to especially still be friends after you’re done.”
Markham also thanked the sponsors and volunteers who helped to make the event possible.
“Thank you to all the volunteers — without the volunteers, you can’t put an event like this on,” he said. “I also want to thank all of the sponsors we have had. Thank you to our primary sponsor, Anheuser-Busch, and other major sponsors: Price Chopper, P&C Foods, M&T Bank, Seneca Federal Savings Bank and Loan and Gypsum Express. I also want to thank other sponsors within the village of Baldwinsville that have donated greatly to the event and those outside the village.”
While the cancellation of the two-day event seems like the end of an era, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We might expand to do smaller activities and that’s why we want to stay a viable committee,” Markham said. “Of course, I don’t ever want to say we wouldn’t do the fall event again.”
