Pandemic Cancels Bottle Hill Day 2020 In Madison

MADISON, NJ - The annual street festival, Bottle Hill Day, originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, has become another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Madison Downtown Development Commission (DDC) voted to cancel due to the ongoing health concerns and uncertainty around potential restrictions on large gatherings associated with the pandemic, officials said, noting that 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 the signature Madison.

“It is unfortunate that our favorite town-wide day of the year, Bottle Hill Day, has to be canceled this year," DDC Chair Suzy Whitehorn said. "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."

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, officials said.

The event is also 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, officials said.

The commission, if restrictions allow, will consider a much smaller celebration of the Madison business community this fall.

"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," Whitehorn said. "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."

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," DDC Vice Chari Eric Range said. "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."

The DDC looks forward to returning to a full event schedule in 2021.

"Before we know it, we will all be safely enjoying a wonderful Madison street fair together, and we cannot wait, “ Whitehorn said.

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