Belmont's Fall Season Runs Through One Park, and Main Street Spent 2026 Making Room

Between now and the end of December, nearly every downtown Belmont event takes place at Stowe Park, 24 S. Main St., or within sight of it. October's two movie nights, a cleanup morning, BooFest, the Veterans Celebration and a month of decorated trees all use the same lawn, and the Movies in the Park series adds four more films in November. The tree lighting, the Christmas Parade and the Bavarian Holiday Fest happen within a short walk up Main Street.

Even so, this year's biggest downtown news involved no new events. Three Main Street and Ervin Street businesses gave themselves more room. One added a dining room after eight years, one moved from a food truck into a storefront, and a pizza kitchen moved into a taproom that was already there. In a downtown that hosts this many visitors on so few blocks, more seats and steadier hours make a difference on a festival Saturday.

The Calendar, Block by Block

These are the dates the city and the Downtown Belmont Development Association have posted for the rest of 2026. BooFest, the Christmas Parade, the Festival of Trees and the Bavarian Holiday Fest are listed as free.

Of the events that list a location, six are at Stowe Park. The holiday events pull a little north. The Bavarian Holiday Fest page gives Old City Hall as its ride-share drop-off, while BooFest gives Stowe Park. In practice, October happens on South Main and December stretches up North Main.

What Changed This Year Was Room

The most telling update of 2026 came from 102 S. Main St., a short walk from the park. In August, the Gaston Gazette reported that Two Chicks Sandwiches & Scoops had opened an indoor dining room. The paper's headline said the new space would help the restaurant expand its hours and menu plans. Sisters Rhonda Sparks and Tina Burch had run the shop for eight years before that, serving ice cream, deep-fried burritos, hand-pattied burgers and Philly cheesesteaks. The Gazette described the old space this way:

"Customers squeezed in, picnic tables filled up outside, and the kitchen crew learned to move through the space sideways."

Before August, a cold evening or a packed event day meant a line at a counter and picnic tables outside. Now there are seats indoors on the busiest block in town.

On Ervin Street, Tapside Pizza opened inside Primal Brewery's taproom at 52 Ervin St. on Tuesday, March 3. CharlotteFive reported that it's a partnership between Primal's owners and ASM Group, the team behind The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar and eeZ Fusion & Sushi, and that diners of all ages are welcome. The menu includes a Margherita, a spinach pie with feta, sundried tomato and pine nuts, and the Hot Hive, which pairs soppressata, pancetta and Calabrian chilis with a smoked honey drizzle. Downtown Belmont's directory lists dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering. For a family heading to a 7 p.m. movie on the lawn, a pizza to go from a block away is now an easy option.

The third change came a little earlier. The Banana Bar began as a food truck, and in 2025 the Gazette reported it was opening a brick-and-mortar shop in Belmont. Its September 2026 listing puts it at 117 S. Main St., selling frozen dipped bananas, cheesecake, soft serve, strawberries and "dirty sodas."

Not every 2025 change added capacity. Kaya Gastrolounge at 102 Davis St. served its last meal on Aug. 17, 2025, a few months after opening in the former Bottle Tree space. Food Truck Alley was announced for 2 Airline St. in late 2025 as a seven-truck outdoor food site, but the report said it still needed final city approval, and this research found no confirmation that it has opened.

BooFest Assumes You'll Order From Main Street

The city's BooFest page plans for downtown restaurants to help feed the crowd. Its FAQ says multiple food trucks will be on site and invites people to bring takeout from downtown businesses. Coolers are allowed with non-alcoholic drinks only. Admission and rides are free, the kids' costume contest starts at 3:30 p.m., and leashed pets are welcome. The listed food trucks include Big Time Boba, Scream Ice Cream, Dumpling Girls, Chubby's Barbeque, Little Annie Gourmet Waffles, Supernova Spuds and Two Chicks and a Truck, among others.

For a 2 to 7 p.m. festival, that means lunch, dessert and an early dinner all within a few doors of the park. Main Street can cover all three. These spots have 2026 directory profiles:

• The Everyday Market, 7 S. Main St.: scratch-made pastries, desserts, sandwiches and coffee, plus wine and beer
• Sammy's Neighborhood Pub, 25 S. Main St.: build-your-own burgers and draft beer
• Station, 4 N. Main St.: tacos, wings, quesadillas and street noodles with Carolina craft beers
• Cotton Candy Factory, 21 N. Main St.: a Holy Angels-supported candy shop with a make-your-own cotton candy experience
• Cherubs Cafe, 23 N. Main St.: a Holy Angels nonprofit café serving breakfast, sandwiches, soups and ice cream
• BoCha Bubble Tea, 202 S. Main St.: milk teas, fruit teas and classic bubble tea
• Bumblebee Creamery, 41 Glenway St.: house-made gelato with rotating flavors, including vegan and gluten-aware options

For a sit-down dinner after the costume contest, Marrelli's Italian Restaurant at 33 Glenway St. serves family-recipe Italian with wine and cocktails. Pita Wheel is two doors down at 55 Glenway St. Jekyll & Hyde Taphouse and Grill, the steampunk-style gastropub at 10 E. Catawba St., is just off Main. Listed hours change, so check them before a festival day.

December Moves North

On Dec. 1, the parade starts at 3 p.m. along Main and Catawba streets, and the Festival of Trees opens the same day for a free, daily run at Stowe Park through Dec. 30. The tree display is the one event on the calendar that runs for weeks, so an evening walk through it can fit any weeknight in December.

The Bavarian Holiday Fest is the only all-day event left on the calendar, running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 12. It's free, food and artisan vendors will be selling on site, and organizers say public restrooms plus a restroom trailer will be available. The FAQ still lists the beverage garden vendors for 2025, which were Primal Brewery, Traust Brewing Co. and Stardust Cellars. Treat those as last year's names until the 2026 list is posted.

Nellie's Southern Kitchen at 36 N. Main St. is at the north end of this stretch. It serves fried chicken, shrimp and grits and banana pudding, and has a rooftop patio and brunch. Honeycomb Cafe at 31 N. Main St. serves waffles, cinnamon rolls, mimosas and Bloody Marys. Stone Fired Social at 106 N. Main St. adds wood-fired and gluten-free pizza, gelato and arcade games. A block farther north, the mural at 140 N. Main St. was unveiled on June 4 and honors Major William Chronicle and the South Fork Boys. If you haven't seen it, the walk up Main Street for the festival passes right by.

The City Is Planning a Second Gathering Place

The city is also planning for a time when Stowe Park may not have to host almost everything. In April 2026, Belmont issued a request for proposals for a master plan covering about 125 acres along the Catawba River, with more than half a mile of shoreline. The plan calls for a waterfront village center with public access, trails, parks, recreation, dining and shops. The site is in East Belmont, south of Wilkinson Boulevard. The request for proposals describes it in relation to Kevin Loftin Riverfront Park, the new Belmont Rec Center and Aberfoyle Village.

The city received 13 proposals, interviewed three finalists and picked a team led by Bolton & Menk, Inc., working with Innovate P3, Rose & Associates and Lagniappe Group. City Council approved the item on its June 1 consent agenda by a unanimous vote, and the team's fee proposal totals $110,000. The target date for finishing the plan is summer 2027.

This is a planning study and doesn't commit the city to building anything. The team's scope includes two neighborhood walk-and-talks, four stakeholder listening sessions, two open houses, a survey and a project webpage. No dates or venues for those sessions had been posted in the city records reviewed for this post. When they are posted, the open houses will be residents' chance to weigh in on whether the riverfront becomes a second place for the kinds of events that now all crowd onto Stowe Park.

If you're thinking about how a downtown calendar like Belmont's, and a riverfront plan still taking shape, could affect a home decision over the next few years, Your Property People can talk it through using the same local detail. Work With Us.