By Marisa Dawson, Courtesy Photo

Bennington’s annual Founders Day celebration will not take place this year after organizers canceled Saturday’s event amid concerns about the forecasted rain and potential storms.

The decision was made Wednesday after the Founders Day committee had monitored several weather forecasts throughout the week and considered several alternatives, including shortening the event and moving it to Oct. 3.

For Chamber Coordinator Kelsay Brohimer, the decision was a difficult one after months of preparation.

“We started discussing it on Monday and watching the weather closely,” Brohimer said. “Tuesday night, we brought it to the attention of the rest of the committee. And Wednesday, a final decision was made.”

The committee considered three primary options: proceeding as planned, attempting to reschedule, or canceling the event entirely.

Weather-related safety concerns ultimately played a significant role in the decision. The event was scheduled to include bounce houses, food trucks, vendors with tents, a petting zoo and a large outdoor screen for the Husker watch party.

“With that comes the liability of the bounce houses being slippery and the kids being on them,” Brohimer said. “And with that comes the liability of the electricity.”

She also noted the amount of metal equipment that would have been concentrated along the street, including food trucks and the metal poles used by vendors’ tents. The forecast also created concerns about whether some of the event’s attractions would be possible at all. Brohimer said the petting zoo likely would not have been able to operate in muddy conditions, while the large screen for the Husker watch party could not be set up in the rain.

The committee also considered the potential effect of poor weather on vendors and sponsors.

“We want a good turnout for that before deciding to cancel,” Brohimer said, explaining that the committee did not want sponsors investing in an event that might draw very few people because of the weather.

Brohimer pointed to a storm earlier this year at the Gretna Farmers Market as another consideration. According to Brohimer, several vendor tents were damaged or blown over, and some vendors were unable to participate in the following week’s market because their products had been damaged.

“We don’t want it to get ruined, and we don’t want them to have 20 people show up in sales for that day because it’s storming outside,” she said.

Before canceling, organizers also explored whether Founders Day could be moved to the following weekend. Brohimer said she contacted vendors while the committee was exploring the possibility and sent a survey Wednesday asking whether they would be available on Oct. 3. Of those who responded, 25 said they were available.

The committee also contacted the city about the possibility of moving the event.

Brohimer said street closures presented a significant logistical hurdle because the process typically involves approval from the city as well as affected property owners.

“When you close down a street, it’s usually a month-long process,” Brohimer said. “You not only have to get approval from every city council member, but you also have to get approval from every business owner and homeowner along that street.”

She said those property owners must physically sign off on the closure and that the process is normally completed well in advance for Farmers Market dates.

“We do that at the very beginning of the year for all of the farmers market dates,” she said. 

Brohimer said that made moving the event to the following weekend difficult to accomplish within the available time.

The city, however, viewed its portion of the process differently.

Bennington Mayor Clint Adams said organizers must come before the City Council for road-closure approval and notify affected businesses and residents, but he said the city was interested in finding a way to allow Founders Day to be rescheduled.

“As far as the rescheduling of this event I told the organizers that we would like to have it rescheduled,” Adams said.

Rather than waiting for a formal City Council meeting, Adams said the city clerk could contact council members individually to obtain their approval for a rescheduled event.

“Since a formal vote at an official city council meeting would take too long our city clerk would reach out to each council member individually to get their blessing for a rescheduling,” Adams said. “Which would only take maybe a day to get those.”

However, Adams noted that organizers would still need to notify affected property owners of the change, with the amount of time required depending on the organizers.

The two sides’ accounts reflect different portions of the rescheduling process: while the city said it could expedite its approval, organizers were also working to determine whether vendors and other event components could move to a new date.

Ultimately, the Oct. 3 option did not come together, and organizers announced the cancellation. Brohimer said vendors were notified as the committee worked through the possibility.

Brohimer said the cancellation was particularly difficult after the committee had spent roughly two to two and a half months preparing for the celebration.

“We’ve been working on this for two to two and a half months,” she said. “We’ve been meeting as a committee and having group texts and booking everything.”

“It’s really sad to have all this work go towards nothing,” she added.

Still, Brohimer said most of the responses she received from vendors were understanding of the decision.

“I’ve actually gotten people saying thank you for wanting to keep us safe,” she said.

She said the committee was also fortunate to have community sponsors who supported this year’s event. According to Brohimer, those sponsors will be reimbursed, while vendors had been willing to discuss potential reschedule dates.

The cancellation is not the first time Founders Day has been called off. Brohimer said the event was previously canceled in 2023 because of road construction.

Despite the disappointment, both organizers and city officials emphasized the importance of Founders Day to the community.

“Founder’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate where Bennington came from and the people who helped build this community,” Adams said. “What I enjoy most is seeing families, longtime residents, and newer members of the community all come together. It’s a reminder of what makes Bennington such a special place to live.”

Although the official celebration will not take place, Brohimer encouraged residents to continue supporting the local businesses and vendors who would have participated.

She suggested following vendors’ social media pages, as some have announced alternate ways to shop, including pop-up opportunities and online sales.

Residents can also find other community activities still taking place this weekend, including Bennington Community Theater’s production of Nunsense, a Bennington Public Schools Foundation alumni all-class reunion, and local businesses hosting Husker football and volleyball viewing opportunities.

Adams similarly encouraged residents to use the weekend as an opportunity to support the community.

“The biggest thing is simply to take some time to celebrate Bennington and the people who make it home,” Adams said. “Visit local businesses, spend time with family and friends, learn a little about our community’s history, and support the organizations and events that bring people together.”

“Founder’s Day is really about community, and everyone can be part of that in their own way,” he added.