This year’s edition of the Quinte Exhibition has wrapped up, but it will not be a wrap for the event being held at the old fairgrounds just yet.
President of the Belleville Agriculture Society, Jamie Chatten, confirmed to Quinte News that next year’s edition of the Quinte Exhibition will not be held at the new fairgrounds location.
“We’re scheduled for opening (at the new Fairgrounds location) in late fall of 2025 so therefore, in order for us to provide a good venue, we are going to be forced to have a fair, our last fair (at the old fairgrounds) on the 2025 Labour Day weekend, and then we will be set up to move out to the new fairgrounds. So you’ll see a fair out there for 2026,” Chatten tells Quinte News.
Chatten says the expectation is for the 36,400 square foot facility to be completed in November 2025 with move-in expected for December 2025.
“I know a lot of residents in the community don’t like to hear it, we really don’t like it either, but it is what it is. Some of these things take time,” Chatten says.
“We’re looking forward to getting out there at the end of 2025 and go from there.”
On Tuesday, the City of Belleville’s Planning Committee approved a recommendation to council to rezone the land at Highway 37 and Black Diamond Road from Development Control Zone to Community Facility Zone, Service Industrial Zone, and Environmental Protection Zone.
Chatten gave an update on when the first bits of development are scheduled to take place.
“The last update I had heard, we’re going to probably be into right around November before they start moving fill around out there and prepping to get the footings put in,” Chatten said.
Once the facility is completed, the plan is for the Belleville Agricultural Society to be able to use the building much more frequently as opposed to once a year at the old fairgrounds.
“It’s more of on the business side, where we’re open several days of the week, and hopefully lots of events going on,” Chatten tells Quinte News.
“As far as the types of events, we’ll be able to host graduations there, weddings, birthday parties, anniversary parties, convention centres, educational facilities there as well … there’s going to be so much more opportunity out there to do things.”
Chatten hopes that the facility will help drive up new interest from the community ranging from getting new volunteers to alleviating stress on the city when it comes to rental space.
Development of the property is being done by Bel-Con Design-Builders.
The bid was considered the most qualified of four received by the City of Belleville and totalled almost $11.9 million, about $850,000 over budget.
Originally, the building was to be larger but the project was downsized last year when an application for a significant senior government grant wasn’t successful.
As for turnout for this year’s event, Chatten says while turnout was a little bit lower than last year’s Quinte Exhibition, he says everything went off really well.
“There was a little bit more money to go around last year. Things have tightened up this year and I think folks are feeling the pinch a little bit more,” Chatten said.
“Overall though, we have nothing to complain about. Everything went off really well. We’re super happy.”
