By Beacon Staff
For the first time in 25 years, volunteers will not paint the homes of the elderly and less fortunate in Burlington this September.
The Burlington/West Burlington Paint-A-Thon has been canceled due to concern about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), but event organizer Jim O’Neill plans to bring it back next year. The annual event, which typically enlists more than 600 volunteers to paint over a dozen houses in the course of a week, has aided more than 500 homeowners over the past two-and-a-half decades.
The annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant, however, is still a go for Labor Day weekend. The festival board met Wednesday night (June 18) and confirmed as much, though there will be some changes to the event that will be announced at a later date.
Old Threshers is the largest event in southeast Iowa, followed closely by the Tri-State Rodeo in Fort Madison, which takes place the week following the farm implement extravaganza. The rodeo board confirmed Wednesday that the event will take place as scheduled.
The rodeo and Old Threshers are multi-day events and feature nightly country music concerts. Old Threshers typically attracts about 40,000 people, while the Tri-State rodeo parade has more than 600 entrants each year.
The annual Riverfest concert in Fort Madison is still scheduled for early August. Concert organizers confirmed the event during the Fort Madison’s Tuesday night city council meeting.
The Fort Madison Community Hospital 2020 Golf Classic scheduled for late August, however, has been canceled due to coronavirus.
Burlington’s city-wide spring cleanup also was delayed earlier this year due to worldwide pandemic but is scheduled to return this fall. Items must be set out by 7 a.m. on the day of pick-up.
The clean-up, conducted by Burlington city crews, is scheduled for Sept. 14, Sept. 22, Sept. 30, Oct. 8, and Oct. 16. Appliances, batteries, tires, demolition material, and electronics (including TVs and computers) will not be accepted.