Burlington Steamboat Days Will Not Relaunch

The exciting news that Burlington Steamboat Days was returning after a one-year hiatus has been tempered by COVID-19 and social distancing. The event will not happen this year.

The 3-day event was planned for the weekend of Thursday, June 11-Saturday, June 13. However, by a unanimous vote of the event planning committee and Burlington Riverfront Board of Directors, calling it off was the difficult but right thing to do, given the current circumstances.

Country musicians Gretchen Wilson and Riley Green were scheduled to perform, as were a variety of rock artists who had not yet been named. A carnival, Special Guest Day, Family Day and Senior Day were also among the activities planned.

A variety of factors relating to COVID-19 played into the decision, according to Burlington Steamboat Days President Doug Ervine in a report from the Burlington Hawkeye.

Artists are leery of signing contracts and going on tour, local businesses are concerned about spending big dollars on sponsorships, and people either don’t have the money currently to buy tickets or are concerned about when mass gatherings will be able to safely resume.

Ticket holders can get refunds by calling (319) 753-8111 or can contact Mike.Oneil@burlingtonriverfront.com by email by June 1.