september 21, 2010 n belgrade fall festival ▲ 11

City to celebrate its 47th Fall Festival Sept. 24-26It’s been a part of the fabric

of Belgrade for 47 years, this Fall Festival.

What started out in the 1960s as a potluck to celebrate the har-vest in this small farming commu-nity, Fall Festival evolved over the years with a parade and festival in the park.

A barbecue re-placed the potluck but the idea was the same — to celebrate the culmina-tion of a year’s work on the many farms scattered throughout the Belgrade area.

Today’s Fall Festival is a three-day affair, beginning Friday, Sept. 24 in conjunction with Belgrade

High School’s Homecoming activities. A special benefit concert by local singer Stephanie Quayle will get underway at the Belgrade Special Events Center at 8 p.m. The event raises funds for Pan-

ther Pride, a recently launched fund-raising effort to boost extra-curricular programs at Belgrade Schools.

Saturday’s events begin early, with the annual pancake breakfast at the Belgrade Senior Center.

The breakfast is followed by the annual Fall Festival parade down Main Street, an event that typically draws hundreds of en-tries and thousands of spectators.

After the parade, the Cham-ber of Commerce baron of beef barbecue kicks off at the Belgrade Fire Hall on East Main Street. Thanks to the generosity of sev-eral area businesses, the barbecue is free to Fall Festival attendees.

Family activities, along with arts, crafts, food and other ven-dors, will be set up in the park adjacent to the fire hall for the rest of the day. First Interstate Bank has sponsored three huge inflatables for the kids, and there will be plenty of opportunities to

socialize with family and friends.At 12:30 p.m., a dog agility

competition by the Galloping Dog Agility & Fly Ball Club will take place on the baseball fields at the park, promising plenty of fun for the whole family.

The day culminates with the BHS Homecoming football game against Browning at the high school’s outdoor sports complex.

On Sunday, the Belgrade Musical Theatre Camp will stage “Four Musicians of West Bre-men,” a musical production, at the BHS auditorium, 303 N. Hoffman. The production gets underway at 2 p.m.

So come out and enjoy Bel-grade during Fall Festival 2010.