Baileys Harbor Cautiously OKs Celebrations

With no certainty about the containment of COVID-19 this season, the Baileys Harbor Town Board instructed its community association to proceed cautiously with event planning for 2021. 

The board gave the go-ahead on Monday for Brynn Swanson, Baileys Harbor Community Association (BHCA) director, to take reservations from vendors and food-truck operators for a July Fourth fireworks celebration, but it advised her not to promote the event. Swanson said she just needed to give answers to vendors who were calling every day. The town canceled its fireworks show and gathering in 2020.

Swanson plans to space vendors and food trucks far apart in various locations, ranging from the town hall grounds and School Park to Anclam Park. Board member Peter Jacobs said he appreciated the distancing strategy, but he expressed concern that the event could be an “attractive nuisance,” with no way to control the size of crowds.

Swanson said she’s also working to spread out farmers market vendors this spring, summer and fall into more locations than in 2020, and is planning Tuesdays on the Town, encouraging businesses to stay open later than normal and to have exhibits, sales or food outdoors. 

The BHCA has canceled the Blessing of the Fleet event, but the spring brown trout tournament is still on.