Ethnic Festival at the Waterfront

By Renée Rodgers

Summer just wouldn’t be summer in Belleville without the annual Waterfront and Ethnic Festival.

This year’s event takes place July 7 to 10 at West Zwick’s Park.

Susan Walsh, event coordinator at the Belleville and District Chamber of Commerce, said the event is for the young and old alike.

“There is definitely something there for all ages,” she said. “We aim to please.”

The festival will include the usual features such as the midway and exposition. But a few new attractions will also be thrown into the mix.

Visitors can bring their dogs to the new 1000 Islands DockDogs competition. Canines will jump from a 40-foot dock into a pool and be judged on distance and height of jump.

Kromatic from Montreal will be there for the first time to take face painting to a whole new level. Their dazzling makeup creations look like works of art.

There will be 10 ethnic food vendors this year, an all-time high said Walsh. Two new cuisines have been added this year: Indian and Mexican.

The food is one of the festival’s biggest attractions, said Walsh.

“There are actually people who come to the festival strictly for the ethnic food village,” she said. “That’s what they zero in on.”

Tribute bands and artists will provide entertainment throughout the weekend. Thursday evening will feature a “tween concert” at 8:30 p.m. with tribute acts such as Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

The tribute acts, new to the festival this year, differ from the big-name bands that have performed at the event in the past. The late-night concerts at Victoria Park often attracted a drunk and obnoxious crowd, giving the festival a bad reputation among some groups. The last festival concert at Victoria Park was in 2006.

Since then, Walsh said organizers have evolved the festival back into a family-oriented event.

“We feel it’s been successful,” said Walsh. “People comment that they enjoy the changes, they’re embracing the changes.”

While festival organizers are hoping for sun this weekend, they’re also prepared for rain. A new pavilion recently unveiled at the park will provide shelter for entertainers as well as about 300-400 people. A new dining tent will also be available which will hold about 200 people.

A free shuttle bus will transport people back and forth between Zwick’s park and the Belleville bus terminal all weekend.

Admission to the event is free, but a fee will be charged for some of the attractions. Parking is $2.

Visit http://bellevillewaterfrontfestival.com for more information.