Ready for autumn? Check out 5 fall festivals coming up in the Belleville area
The autumnal equinox and official beginning of fall is less than two weeks away, and there are a variety of festivals planned in the Belleville area for those looking to celebrate the new season.
After a period of “false fall,” forecasters expect conditions to warm in Belleville in the coming days with a high of 98 degrees Fahrenheit anticipated Saturday.
As the summer solstice has passed, the days will get progressively shorter. By Nov. 2, the sun will set before 5 p.m. in Belleville. The “shortest” day of the year, or the day with the least amount of daylight, will be the winter solstice Sunday, Dec. 21.
Some fan-favorite fall festivals in Belleville will have shortened hours this year due to a series of disturbances at outdoor metro-east events, the News-Democrat previously reported.
Here’s a roundup of five upcoming fall festivals in the Belleville area.
Fall festival in Bellevue Park
The 2nd annual fall festival at Bellevue Park will take place 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 and will feature market vendors, a free fishing derby for children ages 4 to 15 and adults age 55 and older, a pickleball tournament, food vendors, games and more.
Belleville Oktoberfest
The 44th annual Belleville Oktoberfest will be held 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20, as well as from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21. Oktoberfest is one of the local events with earlier closing times this year.
Oktoberfest features German cuisine, beer and music, as well as a corn hole tournament, wiener dog race and costume contest, car show, washer toss tournament, children’s area and more.
Harvest Festival
The 3rd annual Harvest Festival benefitting the Belleville Heart Garden will take place 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28 on High Street between LongStory Coffee and the Belleville Heart Garden.
The festival will include live music, tours of the garden, food and drink for purchase, a free garden scavenger hunt for children, a free paint-a-pot activity and bird feeder craft for children, and a book mobile from the Belleville Public Library. The festival is free to enter.
Belleville Chili Cook-off
The 41st annual Belleville Chili Cook-off will take place 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11. The chili cook-off is one of the local festivals with an earlier closing time this year.
Truman’s Best took the People’s Choice Award in 2024 and in 2023, while last year’s Restaurant/Caterer Category winner was Mi Hungry BBQ and the Non-Restaurant Category winner was Truman’s Best.
Along with the popular chili vendors, the cook-off event will feature the Chili Chase 5K & Kids’ Pepper Dash, live music and beer stands.
Fall Fest at Skyline Church
Skyline Church’s fall festival will take place 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 in O’Fallon. Activities will include trunk-or-treat, a hayride, crafts and more.
Do you have a question about living in Illinois for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Metro-east Matters form below.
