Bottle Hill Day Cancelled Due to Pandemic
The Madison Downtown Development Commission (DDC) voted to cancel its annual street festival, Bottle Hill Day, originally scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2020, due to the ongoing health concerns and uncertainty around potential restrictions on large gatherings associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, the risks and challenges are too great to effectively plan and carryout an event of this size.
This year would have marked the 46th Anniversary of this signature Madison, NJ event. The DDC’s objective is to promote economic growth and business development so that Madison’s beautiful downtown continues to thrive. Bottle Hill Day was created in 1974 by Mayor Elizabeth Baumgartner to promote the business district. The name originated from Madison’s original establishment in 1715 of the village called “Bottle Hill”. The event has grown exponentially over the last decade with over two hundred vendors participating annually and drawing between 10,000 and 20,000 people to the heart of Madison each fall for this beloved community celebration.
This event is a significant fundraiser for the DDC that helps support the commission’s efforts to maintain, beautify and market the commercial district but the commissioners unanimously agreed that any financial benefit is far outweighed by current health and safety concerns. The commission, if restrictions allow, will consider a much smaller celebration of the Madison business community this fall. DDC Chair, Suzy Whitehorn noted, “It is unfortunate that our favorite town-wide day of the year, Bottle Hill Day, has to be canceled this year. However, by now, we all know that gathering in large crowds, elbow-to-elbow, even if outside, is not a good idea during this unprecedented pandemic. Please rest assured that as soon as New Jersey’s relaxes its limits more on the number of individuals that are allowed at outdoor gatherings, we hope to plan a smaller-scale event to celebrate Madison. It takes time to plan a large event and the planning cannot begin until the restrictions are further relaxed but a new event will be well publicized when it is permitted. In the meantime, we are hoping that everyone stays safe and healthy. Before we know it, we will all be safely enjoying a wonderful Madison street fair together and we cannot wait! “
Bottle Hill Day has evolved over the years into a family-oriented entertainment event with music featuring live music on four stages, amusements, and the DDC Beer Garden. “Bottle Hill Day is quintessential Madison. This day takes hundreds of hours to plan and execute in the weeks and months before the first weekend in October. While we are no less a community in 2020, protecting that community must be our number one goal. There remain too many questions around how to begin planning an event of this nature given current health guidelines and the unknowns of what the months ahead will bring. I look forward to fall 2021 when we can all hopefully once again safely return and enjoy a day of music, amusements, community, and, of course, a beverage at the beer garden.”, added Eric Range, DDC Vice Chair.
The DDC looks forward to returning to a full event schedule in 2021.
