Hamburg News

Posted by Eileen Hotho

BURGERFEST CANCELED

The organizers of the annual BurgerFest in the Village of Hamburg have regretfully agreed to cancel this year’s festival scheduled for Saturday, July 18 in the Village of Hamburg amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus global Covid-19 pandemic and its possible status this summer. The one-day festival is coordinated by the Rotary Club of Hamburg, the Rotary Club of Hamburg, Sunrise, the Town of Hamburg Lions Club and the Kiwanis Club of Hamburg.
 
“Even though this is mid-April, our festival takes months to plan and it is hard to imagine going from our current self-quarantine state and the necessity of wearing masks to being with crowds of people partying together this summer,” said Eileen Hotho, BurgerFest co-chair.
 
“The four service clubs coordinating BurgerFest depend on the proceeds to support local and international charitable and civic causes,” said Michele Hanley, “so reaching this decision was very difficult at this point, but it was the right thing to do.”
 
“We will be back next year on the third Saturday in July – July 17, 2021 – and we will be bigger and better than ever before,” said Hotho. “The BurgerFest Committee may convene to plan a small event later this year to raise seed money and awareness for BurgerFest 2021 if circumstances allow.”
 
BurgerFest celebrates the “birth” or creation of the hamburger in 1885 at the Erie County Fair on the Hamburg Fairgrounds and has been held in Hamburg since 1985. Some of the projects and activities of the BurgerFest service organizations are:
  • Rotary Club of Hamburg – coordinates the annual Warm the Children Program, supports the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program, provided Rotary Fields I and II at the Town of Hamburg Recreation Center on Lakeview Road and participates in the Rotary International Youth Exchange, SLAPSHOT and RYLA youth leadership programs.
  • Rotary Club of Hamburg, Sunrise – funds the Rotary Student Exchange Rotaract Program at Hilbert College and supports programming for veterans, Cradle Beach Camp and the Town of Hamburg Blast on the Beach.
  • The Town of Hamburg Lions Club continues its mission to assist those with vision and hearing challenges. They provide monetary contributions to many local causes and youth service projects.
  • The Kiwanis Club of Hamburg sponsors the Terrific Kids Program in the Hamburg and Frontier schools, supports local youth softball teams, and works in partnership with Hamburgh Holidays and Gliding Stars.