Flavours of Fall, Belleville’s annual welcome to the fall season, will be held from 10 am to 3 pm in the downtown area. Then, starting at 1 pm, you can also check out Porchfest Belleville in the East Hill neighbourhood. Porchfest will run until 4 pm, and free shuttle buses will be available to take festivalgoers from the downtown core up to Porchfest once they’ve had their fill of fall flavours.

Let’s take a look at what Flavours of Fall and Porchfest Belleville are all about.

Flavours of Fall
Come awaken your senses with the tastes, sights, smells, and sounds of fall with hundreds of other attendees at Belleville’s signature Flavours of Fall festival. The festival is run by the Belleville & District Chamber of Commerce and is entering its 11th year.

Flavours of Fall is full of fun family activities and entertainment opportunities. Let the kids try their hand at pumpkin carving and all sorts of fall-themed arts and crafts. Sip apple cider as you watch a display of indigenous drumming or go for a horse-drawn trolley ride instead. You’ll find no shortage of activities to fill the day.

Since Flavours of Fall begins a few hours before Porchfest Belleville, many people choose to start their day downtown and then make their way up to East Hill. Others may instead choose to stay downtown for most of the event and catch the last bit of Porchfest, especially if they have small kids who are enjoying the activities. The choice is completely up to you.

Porchfest Belleville
Just one year younger than Flavours of Fall, Porchfest Belleville is getting geared up for its 10th year of celebrations. This unique grassroots festival presented by the Rotary Club of Belleville gives you the opportunity to listen to some talented local musical acts as they play on the front porches of homes around East Hill, within the borders of John Street, Pine Street, MacDonald Avenue, and Dundas Street. Audiences move from house to house to watch different performances.

The festival is open to anyone who would like to perform, which means you’ll be treated to an array of musical genres. Musicians play either acoustic instruments or unplugged, so you don’t have to worry about protecting your little one’s ears. There will be over 30 different festival venues, and you can visit them by car, bus, or by stretching your legs and walking a bit. Porchfest is a great opportunity to explore the East Hill community.

When the weather starts getting cooler and the leaves start changing colour, you know Belleville is the place to be. The last Saturday of September is one of the city’s busiest days of the whole year, and very much worth checking out if you happen to be in the area. Taste the flavours of the season and hear the music of the locals at these two popular and well-loved Belleville festivals.