Things to do in Belleville, IL
Learn more about Belleville Parks & Recreation or Belleville Festivals & Parades.
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Belleville, IL Parks & Recreation:
Belleville currently has 22 parks encompassing 200 acres located throughout the city. The largest are Citizens Park with 45 acres and Bellevue Park with 27 acres and a three-acre lake. The parks offer playgrounds, ball diamonds, picnic areas, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, fitness trails and a community center. Each has its own unique personality and purpose. Here are just a few:
Belleville Pool: 1100 Hecker Street, Belleville. Belleville's citizens have been flocking to the Belleville Swimming Pool since it opened in 1958. Located on Hecker Street just off Lebanon Avenue, the pool is an exciting alternative to the "backyard pool", and the perfect place to enjoy those lazy, hazy days of summer! Swim lessons, aerobics, a concession stand, and pool rental for parties are all available Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Bellevue Park: 401 Bellevue Park Drive, Belleville. Belleville's first park, Bellevue Park, is 27 beautiful acres on the City's Central West End near Memorial Hospital. The park offers a tranquil, 3-acre fishing lake and gentle rolling terrain that also serves as a picturesque site for small outdoor weddings. A historic stone lodge, built in the W.P.A. days is the home of Camp Quacker's summer day camp program. The stone lodge is available for rental at various times of the year for family or company functions. For fitness fanatics there is a double tennis court and one mile fitness trail that meanders throughout the park. Playgrounds and picnic activities are also available for the young at heart. There's music in the air during the summer evening concert series at the park's Music and Drama Facility. Come on out to West Park Drive and join the toe-tapping good times at this long time Belleville tradition.
Citizens Park: 341 Citizens Park Drive, Belleville. A group of individuals had a vision of acquiring land and developing it into a park and giving it to the City for all to enjoy. Thus, Citizens Park offers forty-five spacious acres of fun and excitement easily accessible from Rt.13. This park is the city of Belleville's largest park. Citizens is a highly recreational park with 2 large lighted softball diamonds and a first class baseball field named for Whitey Herzog, which serves as the home field for the American Legion and Althoff High School Baseball Teams. In addition to the ball diamonds at Citizens Park, the park also offers bicycle ramps for the dare-devils, along with other recreational amenities. Citizens is also a very nice place to have a quiet picnic during lunch. Two modular playgrounds for children and three picnic shelters are available for family picnics.
Hough Park: 417 North 3rd Street, Belleville. Located on the north side of West "C" St. between North 3rd and 4th St, Hough Park is the site of both Annual Belleville School picnics and the Annual Belleville Labor Day picnic. Part of the Richland Creek Greenway trail and Sculpture walk cuts through the western and northern sections of the park. A large hexagon shaped shelter with brick patios in the center of the park serves as its main focal point and is excellent for group events. A modular playground and horseshoe courts are adjacent to the shelter for a friendly game of ringers. Hough Park is Belleville's "Picnic Headquarters!”
Laderman Park: 1105 Mascoutah Avenue, Belleville. Laderman Park offers 22 acres of excitement! Two lighted softball diamonds, a lighted soccer field, volleyball courts, horseshoe courts, basketball court, picnic shelters, and modular playground equipment for children are all-available for family enjoyment. A one-mile walking trail with fitness stations provides a fantastic opportunity to achieve flexibility, strength, cardiovascular strength as well as mental health. Thickly wooded areas of the park provide a home to many squirrels and a variety of birds.
Nichols Community Center: 515 East "D" Street, Belleville. Any city the size of Belleville has a definite need for a multi-use facility to meet the indoor recreational needs of its citizens. The Nichols Community Center at 515 East "D" Street easily fulfills that need for Belleville. Classrooms, meeting rooms, instructional rooms, and a gymnasium are all available for rental. Aerobics and yoga classes offer an affordable alternative to expensive health clubs. The Nichols Community Center also serves as the location of the Parks & Recreation's Alphabet Academy. This versatile facility has something for everyone!
Richland Creek Greenway Trail: The Richland Creek Greenway Trail is a 2-mile multi-purpose pathway meandering through the heart of Belleville. This trail provides the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and go on a peaceful journey. The pathway provides the appeal of the natural environment mixed with the art sculptures of modern, urban life. The Richland Creek Greenway Trail is accessible at several locations – North End, Entrance, Skateboard, Optimist, Hough, Rotary, and South Side parks. The pathway also connects to the 6 mile MetroLink Bikeway at the northern corridor of North End Park.
Skateboard Park: 709 North 2nd Street, Belleville. For the daring and the young at heart this thrill a minute park brings the daredevil out in those who take the challenge. The parks director included the skaters in on the design and construction process and gave them what they wanted, a challenging, fun and safe place to sharpen their skating skills. Come ride the rails or do the half pipe or just skate the street course north of West "F" Street and North Second Street intersection, this park will give you all the fun and challenges you can handle.
South Side Park: 600 South 6th Street, Belleville. Strolling around the beautiful 2-acre lake, feeding the ducks or wetting the hook are some of the many attractions. Located just off 6th Street, on warm summer evenings you can catch an exciting softball game or tournament under the lights. South Side Park also has picnic facilities and playground equipment available for the family fun and is the southern terminus of the Richland Creek Greenway Trail.
All Belleville Parks Information from Belleville Parks & Recreation website. (www.belleville.net/departments/parks) Contact them at (618) 233-1416 or visit their website to learn about all the activities Belleville has to offer through the Parks and Recreation Department.
Belleville Annual Festivals & Parades
Art on the Square: in Belleville, IL is a nationally recognized juried art show Art on the Square www.artonthesquare.com VOTED #1 ART FAIR IN THE NATION BY ART FAIR SOURCE BOOK 2010!
Held annually the 3rd weekend in May, Art on the Square is a nationally recognized juried art show intended to foster the appreciation of the visual and performing arts to a diverse public by presenting an exhibit and sale of fine art, providing educational and enjoyable workshops for children and promoting the importance of the creative process. This commitment includes providing these goals free of charge, not only for entertainment, but also to educate the residents of Southwestern Illinois and the surrounding community.
Wine, Dine & Jazz: Held the 2nd Friday and Saturday in June. Featuring live jazz, wine tasting, gourmet cooking stage, food court. www.winedinejazz.com
Oktoberfest: Held the last Friday and Saturday in September. The festival celebrates the German Heritage of the City of Belleville. Just as they do in Germany, the Belleville Oktoberfest opens with the traditional tapping of the "Golden Keg" on Friday. The festival is packed full of entertainment, food and fun for the whole family.The Belleville Oktoberfest is a committee formed by local organizations, The Belleville Exchange Club, Sister Cities, The Belleville Shrine Club and many volunteers from local businesses. The money raised from the festival enables them to complete projects within the Belleville community. www.bellevilleoktoberfest.com
Belleville Illinois Chili Cook-Off: Held the first Friday and Saturday in October on th Square, the city’s annual Chili Cook-off, hosted by the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, attracts more than 50,000 people to downtown Belleville. Chili Cook-off contestants share their creations while competing for prizes in not-for-profit and commercial categories. www.bellevillechili.com
Belleville Illinois St. Patrick's Day Parade: (618) 233-6769
Memorial Day Parade: (618) 233-6769
Ainad Shriners Circus Parade: (1st Friday in June) Phone: (618) 874-1870
Santa Parade: (Friday after Thanksgiving) Optimist Club of Belleville (618) 910-0419
Festival & Parade information gathered from Belleville Chamber of Commerce website. www.bellevillechamber.org/index.php?pagekey=attractions. Visit their website or contact the Tourism office for more information at (618) 233-6769.Contact us with questions about Belleville, IL and Southwestern Illinois Real Estate.
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