Bestival brings music, food and fun to Kitchener’s Belmont Village

The sounds of ukuleles, fiddles, and bagpipes drifted over Kitchener’s Belmont Village as a two day music and arts festival returned.

Belmont Village Bestival is held every year two weeks after the Labour Day weekend to celebrate the end of summer.

“This is our eighth year,” Bestival President and Artistic Director Tammy Lawrence said Saturday afternoon.

“Our founder, Tim Moher, started this eight years ago and it’s grown substantially over the last eight years. We close the street off the same weekend every September from Glasgow to Union Street. It’s lined with vendors, artisan vendors and a stage at each end. We have live performances running on the hour.”

The Sonic Uke Ensemble delighted the crowd near the Union Street closure Saturday afternoon. Moments after they finished, Tim Moher returned to the stage with his group, Clefs of Moher, near the Glasgow Street closure.

Clefs of Moher perform during Belmont Village Bestival on September 14, 2024. (Shelby Knox/CTV News)

In between the two stages, vendors offered food, handmade toys and unique artwork.

A stretch of green turf gave kids a place to relax, play, and join in some guided yoga or meet their favourite characters from movies.

This is the third year vendor Roz Niles from Crafts by Apollo has been part of Bestival.

“We just love seeing all the community and seeing everybody. All the crafters and vendors come together and get to share creativity with the community,” Niles said.

Niles said events like Bestival allow her to meet her customers in person and make connections.

“We’ve had a few customers that come back as well. We’ve had a couple people come back and say, ‘Oh! We saw you last year.’ So it’s neat to see just how the festival has grown.”

Lawrence said the weekend helps the community come together and connect, but it takes a lot of work.

“I can’t tell you how rewarding it is to be a volunteer. Please come out and help events like this. The festivals are hurting for volunteers and it’s really important to get involved. Even if you have a little time, a couple of hours, I guarantee you it will enlighten you spiritually. It’s a really rewarding experience and we need this stuff to keep going.”

Bestival continues Saturday night with performances from Fiddle Stix, Momma’s Kitchener and Danny Michel Band. A full schedule is available online.