Belmont Village may be a small Kitchener community, but it certainly attracts big crowds during the Bestival. The outdoor street party shut down a stretch of Belmont Avenue West on Friday and Saturday. The beloved event has been a community favourite since its launch in 2017 by local musician Tim Moher. “Kitchener really brought it for us,” raved Tammy Lawrence, Bestival’s president and artistic director, on Saturday. She said Friday night’s concert attracted the festival’s biggest crowd ever, and estimates about 15,000 people checked out the event over its two-day run. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Despite growing year after year, the Bestival only had one-third of the volunteers required in 2023. “We need about 60 volunteers,” said Lawrence. “We had about 20.” She’s hoping the community is willing to step up in the future. “If you want to see festivals continue like this, and you want our communities to be rich and culturally diverse, and to keep live music going, you need to step up and volunteer,” she said. “We need people to come forward. I want to see this thrive and go for decades. We need the people to take it over and make it happen.” Events like the Bestival are also key to the city’s neighbourhood diversity. “This is such an eclectic little village," said Lawrence. "It’s very European feeling. It has this really neat vibe, all these little shops and restaurants. It feels warm and cozy and inviting. A real strong sense of community. It’s beautiful, this perfect little village.”
