All are invited to attend the upcoming BurkeFest, which will be held July 17 at Burke Park in the village of Bethel.

Burke Park is located off of Ash Street.

BurkeFest is co-hosted by the village of Bethel and the Bethel-Tate National Honor Society.

This marks the first year for the festival.

The family-friendly festival is free to the public and will include food vendors, craft/business vendors, yard games, live music from local bands and a fireworks display.

BurkeFest begins at 12 pm. and runs until 10:00 p.m., with fireworks starting at dark.

More details on the festival’s program, from the event hosts, include:

– Freshly prepared food and drink will be available for purchase from the Pop Warner Football Association to help pay for the upcoming season.

– Festival attendees may bring their own food/picnic if they prefer.

– Multiple cornhole sets will be available for use, as well as spikeball, hit the bottle, horseshoes and a dunk tank.

– The playground equipment and aerobic machines on the north side of the green are also available for use by attended children.

– Along the main stretch of the park will be a variety of tents, tables, and booths from area donors and local businesses selling goods and services.

– The fireworks will be launched from the vacant field between Hill Intermediate and Bick Primary, and all events will take place in Bethel’s Burke Park.

– Parking is available around Bethel, with the closest spots located at nearby schools.

– The bands performing are Last Shot, Spearpoint and Country Thunder.

– Attendees are asked to bring chairs to view the music and the fireworks, and cash if they plan on making purchases from the vendors.

– The rain date for BurkeFest is set for July 31.

– BurkeFest attendees are not required to wear masks and socially distance; sanitation stations with disinfectant will be scattered around the park.

– Guests are advised to note that this approach is flexible and is subject to change based on the governor’s recommendations.

– Alcohol will not be permitted in the park.

Outgoing Bethel-Tate National Honor Society President Luke Frondorf, 18, said that BurkeFest is a show of good will between local leaders and county residents, and that the small-town event is designed “to recognize those independent businesses, local schools and shared values that unite us as a community.”

“Local support for this event has been astounding,” Frondorf said. “People are ready to see this town come alive again, especially after such a rough past year. This sort of community revival is just what the doctor ordered.”

Planning for BurkeFest has been a family affair for the Frondorf family.

Frondorf’s brother, and the 2019-2020 Bethel-Tate National Honor Society President, Samuel Frondorf began organizing the event last year, to be held in 2020.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans, Luke Frondorf began thinking about how he could revive them for this year.

Luke Frondorf asked if he could add onto the village’s existing Concert in the Park event, and the answer was ‘yes.’

The Bethel-Tate National Honor Society fundraised some $7,000 to help pay for the event, and Luke Frondorf was keen to note that a lot of the money came from kids within the school district; they held social and sporting events, and raised money through the participation fees.

Luke Frondorf added that one dream of his is that the event serves as a regional event for National Honors Society, and he hopes that other groups will join in the celebration.

He also hopes that BurkeFest will help to grow pride in the local community, and noted that while voters in the the neighboring community of Amelia voted to dissolve the village, he doesn’t want that to happen in Bethel.

“We don’t want to see Bethel dissolved; this event is meant to pull Bethel together,” Luke Frondorf said. “There’s a lot of good to share here.”

Questions about BurkeFest can be emailed to Luke Frondorf directly at luke.frondorf@gmail.com.