Rising costs, volunteer shortages, and fundraising challenges lead club to discontinue hosting the longtime community tradition
Reading, MA — In a letter to the community, the Reading Rotary Club announced that it will no longer host the Reading Fall Street Faire. The club said the decision was driven by rising operating costs, increasing fundraising demands, and a declining volunteer base, making the longtime event no longer financially or operationally sustainable. The letter also expresses gratitude to the Town of Reading, public safety departments, volunteers, sponsors, performers, vendors, and the thousands of attendees who helped make the Street Faire a cherished community tradition for nearly 20 years.
Dear Community Members,
The Reading Rotary Club has made the difficult decision to discontinue hosting the Reading Fall Street Faire.
This decision comes after careful consideration of several factors. While the Faire has been a valued and well-loved community event, escalating costs have continued to outpace the time, effort, and fundraising required to sustain it. When the Town of Reading passed the torch to Rotary in 2017, the club was able to stabilize the event and grow both registration and sponsorship. In recent years, however, that growth has flattened while expenses have continued to rise, making the event no longer viable for Rotary to manage. In addition, we have been faced with the challenge of decreasing number of volunteers to plan and manage the event. Rotary is a 100% volunteer organization and all the funds raised went to the charitable, community causes of Rotary.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers who have supported the Street Faire over its nearly 20-year history. We are also deeply appreciative of the ongoing partnership and support from the Town of Reading, including specifically the Department of Public Works, including current and past Highway Supervisors. Our thanks also go to Reading Police and Fire Departments including their current and past Chiefs, whose leadership and collaboration have been essential to the success and safety of the event.
Reading is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to make this community the best it can be.
Finally, we would like to recognize the hundreds of registrants, performers, and sponsors, as well as the thousands of attendees who have taken part in the Street Faire over the years. Your participation and support have made the event a meaningful tradition for our town.
Thank you for your understanding and for your continued support of the Reading Rotary Club and its mission.
Sincerely,
Reading Rotary Club
For questions contact Reading Rotary at readingmarotary@gmail.com.
