The 2021 Labor Day Street Fair has been CANCELLED
At the August 23rd Mayor and Council meeting, the decision was made to cancel the upcoming Labor Day Street Fair. This decision was not made lightly and we understand it may disappoint some.
The sponsorship funding we expected to receive for this year’s Street Fair has not come to fruition, prompting the Borough to reconsider the financial viability of the event.
It’s important to know that for this Street Fair, the Borough incurs significant costs in overtime for our police and public works employees. This day begins at 6am with closing Park Ave and running the sweeper until re-opening the street 12 hours later. We understand the history behind hosting the Labor Day Street Fair, but we must be mindful of the fact that the pandemic continues to impact not only the Borough’s revenues, but those of the sponsors the Borough has traditionally relied on to offset costs.
Faced with the choice between devoting resources to the Labor Day Street Fair and more Rutherford-centric events, we chose to focus on providing smaller, community-driven events and experiences for our residents like the upcoming Rutherford Day and Halloween Spooktacular.
I’d like to thank Mayor Nunziato and my colleagues for supporting this decision. I believe we all hope to resume the Labor Day Street Fair again when it is a more fiscally viable option.
Sincerely,
Councilman Tom Mullahey