COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – After 31 years, Strawberry Fest in downtown Coldwater maybe coming to an end.
The Downtown Development Authority Board will be asked Wednesday by Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker to discontinue the June event.
The city agreed recently to take on the planning and administration of downtown festivals and concerts after the Coldwater Area Chamber of Commerce notified the city they would no longer run the events due to the amount of staff time, effort and expense.
Baker says in his memo to the DDA Board that in city staff’s opinion, the vendors and nature of Strawberry Fest is almost exactly the same as Apple Fest. According to Baker, the availability of strawberries and the unpredictable weather in early June has proven difficult for the event.
In addition, Baker says it conflicts and competes with other activities at that time of year and doesn’t draw the same level of vendor registrations and attendance as Apple Fest does. He feels city staff will be able to expand and improve the September event since they won’t have to work on Strawberry Fest.
Meanwhile, Baker is proposing the 2019 Entertainment Under the Stars concert series be cut back to five dates during July after expanding to seven dates over the past few years.
