Centennial celebrations to start Friday

The Village of Belgium turns 100 on Oct. 2, but a Centennial Committee has been formed through the Belgium Tourism Committee and the Belgium Area Chamber of Commerce to organize celebrations all year long. The first will be held Friday.

Last week, Centennial banners were hung from Main Street light poles. The banners were sponsored by 19 local businesses and organizations. Main Street will continue to be adorned with both Luxembourgish and American flags to honor the village’s and United States’ heritage.

On Friday, Belgium will kick off the first of its centennial celebrations with “100 Minutes of Memories: An Open Mic Memory Night.”

The event will feature reminiscing and laughs at Luna’s Mexican Bar & Grill, 745 Main St.

The location has been a mainstay for decades in the village. The master of ceremonies will be Bill Peiffer, whose father Curley owned Curley’s Pub at the same address years ago.

The public is welcome to listen and share their own tales of life in Belgium. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

If the event is well received, the committee is considering more “100 Minutes of Memories” events throughout the year.

In addition, the committee is working on a historical walking tour of Belgium with help from a staff member at the Luxembourg American Cultural Society (LACS) who has experience in creating walking tours.

The goal is to have the tour ready by summer.

The committee is also working on a Belgium birthday bash in October to celebrate the date of incorporation with a weekend of events. Tentative plans include a day and night of fall fun at Buechler Farms on Saturday, Oct. 1, including a magic show, kid’ crafts and evening entertainment by band Smart Mouth.

The official centennial date, Sunday, Oct. 2, will be marked with a cake social with more details to come.

Sponsorships and more information for the any events are available by emailing the Belgium Area Chamber at belgiumareachamber@gmail.com.

In addition, businesses are encouraged to find ways to celebrate the centennial. Buechler Farms has announced a three-day music fest in honor of Belgium’s 100th birthday on July 8, 9 and 10. The event will include fireworks, food, drinks and several Wisconsin bands, including Star Six Nine  — featuring former Belgium resident Melissa Prom on lead vocals — Smart Mouth, the Glam Band, Just Two Dudes and Bella Cain.

Some proceeds of this event will be donated to Mel’s Charities.

Buechler Farms is accepting sponsorships and food vendors for the event. Those interested should email Irene Buechler at ibuechler@wi.rr.com.

The centennial logo was designed by Kevin Kosterman, who created logos for the LACS and Luxembourg Fest.

The Centennial Committee created a subcommittee to address the logo and banner designs. Members included Micca Schueller, Peggy Wester, Stephanie Rammel and Tara Williams.

The committee selected the design from a few presented options and made a few tweaks before signing off. The Village Board then approved the design.