Area’s premier festival canceled due to coronavirus
ChocolateFest, Burlington’s marquee festival, became a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic with organizers announcing in late March the annual event had been canceled.
President Bil Scherrer, of the ChocolateFest Executive Committee, said the committee decided to cancel the event held annually since 1987 because of safety concerns and uncertainty caused by coronavirus.
The decision created a challenge for the community service organizations that use the annual event as a major fundraiser source.
Scherrer urged people to consider donating directly to those organizations.
“…If you were going to go to ChocolateFest – and spend $50 or $100 – perhaps consider making a donation directly to these worthy organizations that make ChocolateFest happen each year,” Scherrer said at the time.
ChocolateFest is organized and staffed by volunteers with the vast majority of proceeds from the event being returned to the community through the 14 non-profit organizations that staff the gates, clean the grounds, park cars, provide information and handle numerous other tasks during the four-day festival.
Scherrer said volunteers have been the driving force behind the event attracting 35,000 people annually in recent years. In 2019 the festival returned more that $110,000 to the community through the non-profit groups that make up the festival’s volunteer staff.
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