FeedsBelleville Strawberry Festival set to begin
It’s almost ripe and ready for the 32nd annual Belleville National Strawberry Festival.
This year the event, which takes place June 13-15, will include live entertainment, a car show, pageants, carnival rides, homemade crafts and food, a parade and other daily events.
The citywide festival will have a new location this year—Belleville High School—and will also include other old favorites, such as St. Anthony’s Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Belleville Presbyterian Church and Victory Park. It will be open from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 14 and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 15.
The Belleville National Strawberry Festival has been all about strawberry themes, fundraising and community spirit since it began in 1976, according to officials.
Festival Director Joan Bodnar said although different this time around, the festival will include a variety of daily events including: the DuPont NASCAR vehicle, the Colgate Country Jam, the Strawberry Idol contest, children’s activities, food vendors and more entertainment on the way.
“People can expect it to be a little smaller, but it will mean easy walking in a more intimate setting and closer to the carnival,” she said.
New this year will be the DuPont NASCAR vehicle with a computerized car that people can drive on a simulated track, Bodnar said.
“People can watch, too, while the others are driving. This is something that all ages will like,” she said.
On Friday, visitors can watch the annual Strawberry Prince and Princess Contest at South Middle School. The schedule will also include a performance by Karen Newman at 6 p.m., Devin Scillian and the Arizona Sun at 8 p.m. on Friday, along area singers and groups performing in the WYCD Colgate Country Showdown on Saturday.
The Rotary Club Annual Pancake Breakfast—a festival tradition from the beginning—will take place from 8-11 a.m. at the Belleville High School cafeteria. The parade will then follow at 11 a.m. and include floats, area politicians, organizations and musical entertainment.
The festival will also include the annual Cinnamon’s Father’s Day Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Victory Park.
Carnival hours will be from 5-10 p.m. on Thursday, 5-10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
The Belleville Strawberry Festival offers free admission—except for the carnival—and a free shuttle service to all the festival locations from Meijer. For more information, call the festival hotline at (734) 697-3137.
“It’s going to be different, but once visitors come, it will be much-easier walking and atmosphere,” said Bodnar. “It’s a learning experience for us, too, but we can always make it bigger and better next year.”
