Family fun and soup to enjoy in the cold

By Mallory Day

BELLEVILLE – Family activities, wagon rides and soup tasting are back for another year in downtown Belleville for Savour the Chill.

The event is taking place on Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26. There will be activity tents, movies to watch and 14 vendors with a best soup contest. Debby Nolan, the co-ordinator of the Belleville Downtown Improvement Area office and events, said this is the first year the event is being held over two days.

“In addition to the kids’ activities and the wagon rides we’ve added on the Saturday and the wine tasting, there’s also the Sunday activities,” said Nolan. “On Sunday there’s a fixed-price menu at participating downtown restaurants and the proceeds go to the Quinte Symphony.”

The idea of having the extra day of activities came from the Belleville Chamber of Commerce, which is a new partner this year, said Nolan.

“We’ve partnered with the chamber of commerce and the Empire Theatre to make it bigger and better and to add some additional activities to the soup walk,” she said. “They came on board to make it a much bigger event and then through our partnership with the Quinte Symphony, that’s how it became a two-day event.”

She added: “Our restaurants were very generous to assist with that fundraiser.”

The Belleville Shrine Club is holding a pancake breakfast at Empire Square from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Activities for children will also take place there as well, and at the same time. The Savour the Chill soup contest has $2 samples from noon to 3 p.m. at participating restaurants.

There will be three different warming stations with coffee and cookies and activity tents, Nolan said. It’s the additional activities and the involvement of the community that’s making this year different, she added.

“At Empire Square there’s activity tents that are being run by the Heart and Stroke Foundation,” she said. “The other organizations that we’re raising funds for have gotten involved this year as well, so it’s a real community event this time.”