The 20th annual Rotary Club of Williamsville Strawberry Festival is canceled due to COVID-19 potential changing requirements for social distancing and other uncertain related concerns. The festival, a family focused event, was scheduled to be held on Wednesday June 16th from 5 to 8 p.m. at Island Park in Williamsville.
The Strawberry Festival has traditionally kicked off the start of summer for the Williamsville and Amherst community since 2000. This annual fundraising event for area initiatives has historically averaged about 750 attendees, but in 2019 attendees were estimated at 1,000 with about one- third being children.
The volunteer Rotary Club thanks all those who have attended this event in prior years. Their support has helped raise over $60,000 during the past 19 years through this event. The Rotary Club of Williamsville provides similar sponsorship funds to area recipients. Past recipients have included the Amherst Youth Foundation, Amherst Meals on Wheels, Gateway-Longview, senior class scholarships for Williamsville South High School, scholarship partnership with the Amherst Symphony Orchestra, the Amherst Senior Center, the Williamsville Library, and others. Internationally, the Club also supports the world-eradication of polio through Rotary International’s successful PolioPlus program. Hands-on maintenance of Rotary Park in Williamsville’s Glen Park is also an annual undertaking.
Past local business sponsor participants in the annual event have included Tops Friendly Markets, Wardynski Meats, Sweet Jenny’s, The Amherst Bee, and Real Estate Signs.
The 2022 Strawberry Festival event will be scheduled for the 3
rd th Wednesday, June 15 .
Still on schedule for Sunday August 15, 2021 at the Northtown Center is the Annual Car Show, which is a joint partnership of the Williamsville and the Amherst Rotary Clubs. This free public admission event brings about 200-250 restored classic cars and trucks that are professionally judged in various trophy awarded categories.