Belgian Days has been the major fundraiser for the Brussels Lions Club for 65 years. Photo by Remy Carmichael.
The Brussels Lions Club reached a major fundraising milestone as its members prepared for the 65th Belgian Days Festival July 10-12. The Club has now surpassed $1 million in donations to a wide variety of causes in the Brussels area and beyond.
The Brussels Lions formed in 1960, and over the years its efforts have provided nearly $396,109 in support of the community and town park, $123,980 in scholarship programs, $76,511 for individuals in need and $175,258 to youth programs. Another $56,783 has gone to general programs and $171,392 to state and international Lions programs.
It all comes from Belgian Days, Southern Door’s largest annual celebration. It’s the only fundraiser for the Lions each year, and over the decades it has helped turn the old Brussels High School football field into a community centerpiece.
“I don’t think you’ll find many small towns our size that have a park like that,” said Jim Noll, treasurer for the Brussels Lions Club.
The Lions used to host Belgian Days in a local parking lot before moving it to the football field. In exchange for the space, they embarked on decades of improvements, adding pavilions, a walking path, kitchen area, and buying nine acres to double the size of the park. The town later built a community center at the park that is host to weddings, meetings, youth activities and many other celebrations.
“We’re really proud of it,” Noll said. “This park is used every night with softball and baseball games, events on the weekends.”
The expansion of the festival’s events has made it bigger and better in recent years, Noll said.
“It has really picked up with the Friday night band bringing in a whole new crowd, and the kids baseball and softball tournaments as well,” Noll said.
The baseball and softball tournaments draw teams from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin, with families staying in local campgrounds and nearby hotels. There’s live music all weekend, the huge Sunday morning parade, and Belgian food specialties like Belgian pies, trippe and jutt.
At its Saturday peak, thousands of people fill the park, drawn by community and affordable prices. The entry fee is just $2, and the Lions keep food and beverage prices low to make it affordable for families to be a part of it. That keeps people coming back year after year.
“People in Southern Door plan their summer around Belgian days,” Noll said. “They don’t have weddings on that weekend or family parties.”
That commitment to the event is special to Noll and his fellow Lions.
“Seeing the community come out to support us and seeing the opportunity it gives the kids to do something in front of their parents and grandparents is incredible,” he said. “And the opportunity to show people what the Lions do in the community.”
Belgian Days also provides the Belgian Heritage Center a chance to teach visitors about the enduring legacy of Wisconsin’s Belgian settlement.
The day includes guided tours and educational presentations that showcase the people, places, and events that shaped one of the largest Belgian settlement areas in the United States.
The day begins with a Belgian Settlement Bus Tour from 8:30 to 10 am, departing from the Belgian Heritage Center. Participants will travel through the historic settlement area, visiting roadside chapels, cemeteries, viewing historic homes, and other significant landmarks while learning about the immigrants who established thriving communities throughout southern Door County, Kewaunee County and Brown County. Tickets are $25 and can be reserved by contacting Julie at 920.619.6363 or [email protected].
A Walking History Tour will also be offered at 9:30 am that will explore the buildings and exhibits of the Heritage Center.
At 10:30 am, learn about Belgian Life on the Door Peninsula and the Great Fire of 1871. The program will examine the history and development of the Belgian settlements and the science behind the Great Fire of 1871, the deadliest wildfire in American history. The presentation concludes with a visit to Tornado Memorial Park, the site of the former village of Williamsonville, which was destroyed during the fire.
The afternoon presentation, The Belgian Settlements in 1776 and 1876, begins at 1 pm. The program explores how life in the Belgian settlements evolved during America’s first century and how local history intersected with major state and national events. For more information visit belgianheritagecenter.org.
The Belgian Heritage Center is located at 1255 Cty DK in Brussels.
BELGIAN DAYS SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, JULY 10
4 pm: Baseball and softball tournament
7 pm: Live Music by Boogie and the Yo-Yo’z
SATURDAY, JULY 11
7 am: Gates open
8-10:30 am: Belgian waffle breakfast
8 am: Belgian Days Run/Walk
8:30 am: Belgian Heritage Center bus tour (leaves from Belgian Heritage Center)
9:30 am: Walking tour (At Belgian Heritage Center)
10:30 am: Presentation – Belgian Life on the Door Peninsula and the Great Fire of 1871 (At Belgian Heritage Center)
Noon: Cornhole tournament, kids inflatables
1 pm: Presentation on Belgian settlements in 1776 and 1876 (At Belgian Heritage Center)
2:30 – 6 pm: Live music by Carbon Road
7 – 10:30 pm: Live music by Third Wheels
SUNDAY, JULY 12
7 am: Gates open
8am: Baseball and softball tournament
10:30 am: Parade
11:30 – 4:30 pm: Live music by Modern Day Drifters
Noon: Pickleball tourney
4 pm: Raffle drawing
