SALEM Jubilee to end after this year

The chamber could find no one willing to sponsor the future festivals.
SALEM -- The 20th annual Jubilee set for later this month will mark the farewell event of the festival's long run.
Forcing the cancellation, announced Thursday, is the fact that the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce decided early this year to no longer sponsor the event because it was diverting chamber staff members from their primary tasks of business promotion and economic development.
Sponsorship: The chamber suggested that perhaps some other organization could step forward to take over sponsorship after this year's Jubilee, set for July 19- 22. But that hasn't occurred.
"As of today, no other organization has come forward and expressed interest in becoming the sponsoring agency," said Tim Traina, Jubilee Steering Committee chairman.
"Therefore, at the June meeting of the Jubilee Steering Committee, a vote was taken to announce that 2001 would be the final Salem Jubilee. We wanted to give every citizen the opportunity to attend the Jubilee one last time," Traina added.
For two decades, the Jubilee has been held to observe Salem's founding in 1806. Each year, about 25,000 people attend the festival.