By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Oct. 18, 2018) Dates for more than 40 Town of Berlin events scheduled next year were set during a Town Council meeting last Tuesday.

Councilmembers voted 4-1 to set the event schedule, with Councilman Thom Gulyas voting “no” because of his opposition to six events that allow for the public consumption of alcohol.

Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells said three local nonprofits obtained alcohol permits and benefited from those events: the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, Berlin Arts and Entertainment Committee and Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Area Council.

“I’m currently working with Town Administrator Laura Allen on a policy to allow other nonprofits within the town to be able to benefit from those alcohol permits,” Wells said. “In speaking with several other executive directors of local nonprofits, there’s an interest that they be considered to be able to use that as their fundraiser.”

She said the Year Year’s Eve and Small Town Throw Down events were included in discussions concerning having rotating beneficiaries.

Mayor Gee Williams, speaking for himself, suggested that might not be the best course of action.

“We’ve got something that works. It’s working well. We don’t want to make it any more complicated than it already is,” he said. “You can’t make everybody happy every day … sometimes ‘no’ is the right answer.”

Gulyas said he opposed public drinking in general, in part because the existing businesses go through so much trouble to obtain liquor licenses.

Williams countered that bars and restaurants in town, almost always full during events, were the ones that benefited the most.

“I totally understand that,” Gulyas said. “I am voting against it, unfortunately.”

The 2019 Town of Berlin events schedule is as follows:

Jan. 7-13 – Restaurant Week

Feb. 9 – Kid’s Valentine Event

April 13 – Berlin Little League Parade

April 13-20 – Take Pride in Berlin Week/Clean Up Day

April 20 – Spring Celebration

May 4 – Spring Just Walk

*May 4 – Berlin Jazz & Blues Bash

*May 10 – Berlin Reggae Play Day

May 18 – Spring Cruisers

May 26 – Memorial Day at Monument

May 27 – Memorial Day Parade

June 9 – Concert on the Lawn

June 9 – Afternoon on the Lawn

June 15 – Free Outdoor Movie

June 14 – Bathtub Races

June 29 – Free Outdoor Movie

July 3 – Historic July 3rd Celebration

July 3 – Fireworks

July 13 – Free Outdoor Movie

July 14 – Concert on the Lawn

July 27 – Free Outdoor Movie

Aug. 3 – Peach Festival

Aug. 6 – National Night Out

Aug. 10 – Free Outdoor Movie

Aug. 9 – Sidewalk Sale

Aug. 11 – Concert on the Lawn

Aug. 24 – Free Outdoor Movie

Aug. 31 – Shakespeare on Pitt Street

*Sept. 7 – Small Town Throw Down

Sept. 8 – Concert on the Lawn

Sept. 19-22 – Paint Berlin Plein Air

*Sept. 20-22 – Berlin Fiddler’s Convention

Oct. 5 – Touch a Truck Day

Oct. 12 – Fall Cruisers

*Oct. 19 – Oktoberfest

Oct. 19 – Free Outdoor Movie

Nov. 2 – Fall Just Walk

Nov. 22 – Tree Lighting/Open House

Dec. 3 – Classical Christmas

Dec. 5 – Christmas Parade

Dec. 7 – Candlelight Tour (Calvin B. Taylor House Museum)

*Dec. 31 – New Years Eve

*Events that allow for public alcohol consumption

Additionally, 2nd Friday art strolls sponsored by the Berlin Arts and Entertainment Committee were scheduled from 5-8 p.m. each month, and the Berlin Farmer’s Market on Artisan’s Green was scheduled on Sundays, May through October, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.