A crowd gathers at the Belgian Heritage Center to celebrate during the annual Kermiss. File photo by Rachel Lukas.

The Belgian Heritage Center (BHC) invites the public to celebrate Wisconsin’s rich Belgian heritage at its annual Kermiss, a tradition dating back generations.

The free event will be held on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 11 am to 4 pm at the BHC, 1255 Cty DK in Namur.

A Kermiss was originally a village festival celebrating the parish church and harvest season. Today, BHC continues that tradition by bringing the community together for an afternoon of authentic Belgian food, live entertainment and local history.

Visitors can enjoy a menu featuring Belgian trippe, Belgian pies, booyah, jutt, burgers, craft beer and other refreshments while listening to live music by the John Welch Band. Throughout the day, guests can browse a large silent auction, enter raffles and explore displays of antique farm implements that showcase the area’s agricultural roots.

Guests are also encouraged to tour the BHC’s exhibits and historic campus to learn about Belgian immigration and the lasting impact Belgian settlers made on Door County and northeastern Wisconsin. 

Raffle tickets are on sale for a Yeti roadie cooler and $300 worth of meat. Tickets cost $5, and 500 will be sold. The winner will be announced at the Kermiss. Participants need not be present to win. 

Hunter’s Raffle tickets will also be sold for a chance to win more than $15,000 in gun prizes. The limited number of tickets (3,000) sell quickly, according to organizers. Tickets cost $10 each, three for $20 or 20 for $100. The drawing will take place on Friday, Oct. 9 via Facebook Live. 

Raffle tickets can be purchased at the BHC, Steel Wheel (Namur), Rocky Ridge Shooters Supply (Oconto Falls), Royal Razor Hair Studio (New Franken) and other locations throughout Door, Brown and Oconto counties. Tickets are also available by contacting a BHC volunteer, ordering by email at [email protected] or visiting belgianheritagecenter.org. 

Proceeds from food, beverage and raffle sales at the Kermiss support the BHC’s mission to preserve and promote the history, architecture and culture of Wisconsin’s Belgian settlement region. For raffle updates and more event details, follow the Belgian Heritage Center on Facebook or visit belgianheritagecenter.org.