The Yale Bologna Festival is on hiatus for another year. The Yale Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Festival Board made the announcement expressing regret over the difficult decision.
The Yale Bologna Festival had been going strong since 1989 until the pandemic shut it down in 2020. This year’s cancellation is blamed on a lack of sponsorship and volunteers, as well as health and safety concerns for both attendees and volunteers as the pandemic lingers on.
The Bologna Festival is not just a celebration of processed meat. It has a loyal following of festival-goers who enjoy small-town offerings like a parade and fireworks, as well a street dance and the very unique outhouse races. The Bologna Festival relies on volunteers to pull off the event, but they were scarce this year.
The Festival Board said in a public statement that they had put seven months into planning, but the Bologna Festival just wasn’t meant to happen in 2021. Instead, they are looking forward to a Hometown event on September 11th featuring a concert and fireworks. They are looking for community support to continue the events that bring the community together.
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
