(Photos: by Belleville Chamber of Commerce)
UFO Day 2021
For Belleville police officer Glen Kazmer there was a bit more than a chill in the air that wintry night of January 15, 1987 as he sat his car with neighbor Jeff Furseth and gazed skyward. At around 8:30 p.m. the two noticed a strange series of white and red lights blinking in the sky southwest of Belleville. At first, Kazmer thought it was simply a plane flying over. But as time passed the two came to realize that the pulsing lights were not retreating into the horizon but stationary. Intrigued, Kazmer and Furseth ventured back out the next night and in the wee morning hours again spotted similar lighted, unidentified objects in the sky west of Belleville. The legend of officer Kazmer's UFO sightings only grew as more townspeople stepped forward and confirmed similar sightings.
Today, UFO Day now in its' 36th year celebrates those mysterious celestial, January events with a series happenings spread out across downtown Belleville. Though this city wide celebration takes place Halloween weekend the celebration is far from simply a costume and trick or treat event. After a one year absence UFO Day is bigger and more diverse in its' offerings.
For starters, after loading up with the ATV Club pancake breakfast, lace up your walking or running shoes and join in UFO Day's Color Run organized by the Belleville Senior Center.. "It's an untimed run, people can walk it if they want, it's more of a fun activity for families," says Angie Markhardt, Director, Belleville Senior Center. The run which has been in the center's purview for five years was originally started by a gym teacher at the town's elementary school, and benefits the non-profit senior center. Participants can choose to have the powdered color thrown on their event special, t-shirt during the Color Run or not, it all goes for a good cause.
Next, head over (before 11:30 a.m.) to Belleville Community Park by lovely lake Belle View for UFO Day's newest event, a live drone demonstration organized by the Belleville Community Library. The library is also returning its' popular book sale which will be held all day across the street at historic Library Park. The park which was originally Belleville's village green is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a beautiful gazebo, and the old town hall. The gazebo is playing host to another library organized event, a performance by Madison area, musician Ken Lundquist, who will be doing UFO themed songs he wrote specifically for Belleville's UFO Day.
2021 also marks the first year of UFO's Day's Fall Marketplace taking place at Library Park. "This year we took on a little more activities not having anything indoors this time," says Markhardt. In the past there had been exclusively a craft fair but that all changed because of the pandemic. "Two years ago there was talk of having farmers' market activity that but because of COVID-19 didn't really kick off. Out of necessity to be outdoors the event morphed into a new idea (Fall Marketplace.) We're hoping to continue this in subsequent years, as we get rid of COVID" says Markhardt. The expanded offerings of this year's UFO Day market include of course crafters, but also food booth vendors and trucks, and direct sales.
Lastly, but not the least of all, is UFO Day's annual parade and events this year spearheaded by Rick Francois, Chairperson of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce has been at the helm of UFO Day almost from the beginning according to Francois. For Rick the parade is the perfect convergence of weird and freakiness part Halloween part UFO. Along Main Street visitors will be treated to a 45 minute cavalcade of 50 to 75 entrants, featuring the Belleville HS marching band, costumed participants, and a land based, UFO with working lights.
Events continue on into the evening hours. UFO Day 2021 is an out-of-this-world event sure to entertain any terrestrials or extraterrestrial ages 9 to 9009.
"We invite everyone to come and see what Belleville has to offer, our parks, great place work and live, and of course Lake Belle View. People can take bikes down from Verona, or up from New Glarus for the day," says Dale Yur, Belleville's Village President. UFO Day takes place this Saturday October 30th all day in downtown Belleville.
(Please note, this year all activities will be outside, although access to bathrooms will be available to the public)
SCHEDULE:
7:30 to 11:30 am
ATV Club pancake breakfast
at Schwoegler Sugar River Lanes
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Friends of the Library Book Sale
in Old Library at Library Park
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fall Marketplace:
Craft items, direct sale items, and food vendors
at Outside of Belleville Senior Center and at Library Park
10:00 am
Belleville Senior Center Annual Color Run
9 am Registration
(Pre-registration is encouraged)
11:30 am and 11:45 am
Drone Demonstrations by Randy Nolden
in Community Park (sponsored by the Belleville Public Library)
1:00 pm
UFO Day Parade on Main Street
1:30 pm
Music by Ken Lonnquist
Gazebo at Library Park
sponsored by the Belleville Public Library
(Approximately, will start after the parade)
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
“Alien Glo-n-Bowl”
at Schwoegler Sugar River Lanes, 807 River Street:
7:30 pm - ?
“UFO Day Monster Costume Ball”
at Schwoegler Sugar River Lanes, 807 River Street:
with live music by “Cloud 10” and a costume contest.
9:30 pm (Sunday, October 31st)
UFO Dark Sky Event
A separate event to UFO Day, but in the same theme,
downtown businesses and residences are encouraged to turn of their lights for
30 minutes for a better view skyward of the Blue Moon.
All day
Lunch stand on Vine Street
DIRECTIONS:
By bike: Take the Badger State Trail north from New Glarus or south from Verona to Belleville's Library Park.
If you choose to drive from Madison take HWY 151 west exit at County Hwy. PB. Take County Hwy PB south and merge on to State Hwy 69 head south to Belleville. From the Illinois state line take Hwy 69 north through Monticello, New Glarus to Belleville.
