Clad in red, white and blue, Sunday River Brewing Co. employees and friends join in the Summerfest parade July 2024 in Bethel. The Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce has handed the reins for the annual celebration to the Bethel Area Business Association this year. Michaela Mowery/ photo

BETHEL — The Bethel Area Business Association will take over the annual Summerfest celebration this year from the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce.

Association President Danny Whitney and Secretary Mike Pelletier said they will likely change the date from the third Saturday in July to a Saturday in early August.

The chamber handed the baton to the association and has been helping with the transition, Whitney said.

Summerfest “is about making the community better for our kids and bringing back what it used to be,” Whitney said, adding that part of the motivation is simply keeping the festival going.

The association hopes to bring back some events such as road races and the frog jumping contest, and add a dunk tank and a three-point basketball contest.

“We are going to focus heavily on fun activities for kids, less on the business of the day, and more on getting back to our roots,” Pelletier said. “We are open to new ideas, too. We want more tradition, but are not excluding anyone … I want old-time, fun, less technology, three-legged races, events like that.”

Pelletier said Summerfest committee Vice President Dennis Doyon, Treasurer Rebecca Record and members Ron Savage and David Degruttola plan to ask local businesses to sponsor specific events.

Whitney restarted the association six months ago after its start about 10 years ago. There are has 30 members.

Organizers would not say if they planned to change the name Summerfest, which was established in 2020. Originally it was named Bethel Bazaar and for many years was named Mollyockett Day.