Berkley Days makes comeback for 101st year

BERKLEY — The Berkley Days festival will be celebrating its 101st birthday this weekend.

Berkley Days will make its return to the city May 9-12 outside the Community Center at 2400 Robina Ave.

Berkley Days Committee Chair Denise Downen said she is excited for the city to welcome back the festival.

“We’ve put a lot of time and a lot of effort into this,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of planning to try and make sure that we can bring this back and keep it safe for everybody, but still have the same atmosphere that Berkley Days has historically carried. We’ve expanded our event tents. We’ve made it bigger this year. We’ve got bands playing Saturday and Sunday. I feel like we have a really good variety this year.”

A big highlight each year for Berkley Days is The Taste of Berkley, which will take place 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in the events tent.

The Taste of Berkley welcomes a dozen local restaurants to the space, and attendees can partake in a collection of food offerings from each establishment. Some participating restaurants include Casa Amado, Crispelli’s, and Elwin and Co.

The event is run by Berkley/Huntington Woods Youth Assistance, and all funds raised will go toward the organization, which provides support for families and youth in the Berkley School District.

“We provide casework services to youth and families; we provide summer camp and skill building scholarships to youth in the community; we connect families at the holidays with holiday gifts,” Berkley/Huntington Woods Youth Assistance Chairperson Kelley Smith said. “This fundraiser supports our mission of strengthening families through community involvement and supporting kids in the area.”

This is the biggest fundraiser for Berkley/Huntington Woods Youth Assistance. Tickets cost $30 online or $35 at the door. Tickets can be bought at tasteofberkley.com.

“It’s a great event. We get to be there at the kickoff of Berkley Days; we get to raise money for the kids in the community. I work in the schools in the community, so I’m a real advocate for youth, but we are also able to share the great local restaurants in town with the community. People can try a place they might have never walked into before. So it’s just a great community feel,” Smith said.

Other notable events at the fair include a vendor village, dodge ball karaoke, a Mother’s Day paint and pour, and a Cirque Amongus show aimed at kids 12 and younger.

As noted over the past several months, this year’s festival will see increased security after an incident last year forced Berkley Days to end earlier than previously planned.

In addition to the establishment of a perimeter fence, attendees must pay $3 a ticket; they are not allowed to bring a backpack or wear a mask, unless it’s a medical necessity; ticket sales will end at 10 p.m.; no weapons are allowed; and any misconduct will lead to a person’s removal. Purses and diaper bags are allowed but subject to being searched.

“It was definitely crucial to bring in these extra security measures,” Downen said. “Our security will be there with metal detectors, so we will be wanding everybody to make sure nobody’s bringing anything into the grounds that they shouldn’t bring.”

The fair will be open 5-10 p.m. Thursday, May 9; 4-11 p.m. Friday, May 10; 1-11 p.m. Saturday, May 11; and noon-6 p.m. Sunday, May 12. Tickets cost $20 for Thursday and Sunday and $25 for Friday and Saturday.

A full list of events for the weekend can be found at berkleydays.org.