Belgian Days will return July 10\u201312 to Brussels Town Park, continuing a 65-year tradition of celebrating Belgian heritage through food, music, athletics and community events.<\/p>\n
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Sponsored by the Brussels Lions Club, the annual festival features Belgian cuisine, live music, a Sunday parade and a full slate of weekend athletic events, including baseball and softball games, a cornhole tournament and a cooyah tournament. Proceeds from the weekend support the Lions Club and a range of local community programs.<\/p>\n
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Former Brussels Lions Club President Jim Wautier said the event has remained a cornerstone of local identity for generations.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis is the 65th time we\u2019re putting this on, it\u2019s a big event for the community and we get so much community support. People are surprised how many people we get in the town park every year,\u201d Wautier said.<\/p>\n
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Festivities also include a Saturday morning run\/walk fundraiser benefiting local emergency medical services.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe BUG EMR walk\/run happens Saturday morning and those proceeds help the EMR team,\u201d Wautier said.<\/p>\n
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Through the years, the Brussels Lions Club has tracked the event\u2019s fundraising impact, reaching a milestone this year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSomething elite for the Lions Club this year. We just went over a million dollars in donations. We support local schools, Lions International and the town park here in Brussels. We\u2019ve donated all that money back into the community and we are pretty proud of that,\u201d Wautier said.<\/p>\n
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He said the weekend is designed to strengthen community ties while supporting essential local services.<\/p>\n
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Events will run throughout the weekend at Brussels Town Park, continuing one of the Town of Brussels\u2019 most enduring summer traditions.<\/p>\n
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