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Selectboard approves Blueberry Festival road closures; Main Street closure approved with police and fire sign-off
Summary
The board approved the Blueberry Festival's road-closure plan and later approved a Main Street closure request contingent on approval from the police and fire chiefs; organizers asked for volunteer help and emphasized the economic importance of the weekend to downtown businesses.
Renee, a festival organizer, updated the Selectboard on Blueberry Festival plans, saying vendors and food trucks are filling in and an RFP for fireworks will be issued soon. She moved that the board accept the committee's proposed road closures and asked for the board’s support to publish volunteer sign-up needs on the town website and social media.
James Butler, owner of the Square, urged retaining downtown closures for Friday to protect patrons and support local businesses, saying the festival weekend is the busiest of the year for many merchants. He said the request was largely a repeat of previous years’ Main Street closures (approximately 5:30 to 10:00 p.m.) and stressed public-safety reasons for closing the road when hundreds gather downtown.
Board members pressed organizers about traffic routing and access to a church dinner and suggested coordination with police and fire. A board member moved an amendment to make the Main Street closure contingent upon agreement of the police chief and the fire chief; the amendment and the motion as amended passed unanimously. The board asked festival organizers to prepare signage and coordinate with department heads to ensure emergency access and traffic detours are clear.
