Middleville's Fall Fest Is Back, and It's Riding a Trail That's Waiting on New Bridges

"This event has simply outgrown the Lions Club," Andrew Beck told the Middleville Village Council at its Aug. 25 meeting. He was talking about the Fourth of July celebration, and he was asking the Village to consider taking it over.

At that same meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve an event permit that brings back the Downtown Development Authority's Fall Fest. The festival had been off for the last couple of years. Also before that meeting, Village Manager Craig Stolsonburg reported that Middleville could be in line for state money to rebuild two worn-out bridges on the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.

The three items came up separately, but they share a direction. More of what happens along Middleville's riverfront downtown now runs through the Village and its DDA. That includes the festivals, the summer concerts, the trail upkeep and the grant applications that pay for it. This Saturday's Fall Fest is the first event where you can see all of it in one afternoon.

Saturday, Under the Pavilion

Fall Fest runs Saturday, Oct. 10, from noon to 4 p.m. in downtown Middleville. The DDA's poster puts it "Under the Pavillion & Surrounding Areas," and the WBCH community calendar gives the address as 91 E. Main St.

Here's what has been announced so far:

If you've heard about a costume contest, a trunk-or-treat or hayrides at Fall Fest, those came from the Sun and News report in late August. At that point, Community Development Coordinator Katelyn Brown described them as possibilities, not confirmed plans. A parade was mentioned at the Sept. 22 council meeting, but it isn't in the later calendar description. The DDA's event page is the place to check before you head out.

A costume contest is happening in town that day, just not under the pavilion. OutCastZ of West Michigan is holding its annual Trunk or Treat from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the front parking lot of Thornapple Kellogg Middle School, 10375 Green Lake Rd. There will be candy, a costume contest and a car/trunk theme contest. Winners are chosen by voting on the OutCastZ of West Michigan Facebook page, and trunks can be pre-registered through the group's online form. Fall Fest wraps up at 4, which leaves 90 minutes between the two events.

That gap can be a meal. Downtown is easy on foot, and the DDA's business directory lists several Main Street spots close to the pavilion:

• Left Field Coffee Bar, 124 E. Main St. Weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., so it closes when Fall Fest does.
• Riverdog Tavern, 117 E. Main St., which takes reservations and online orders through its website.
• The Nook, 126 E. Main St.
• Faro's Pizza, 117 W. Main St.

The Golf Carts Are a Council Line Item

The golf-cart rides are the part of Fall Fest that ties it to the trail. When the DDA presented its plans to the Village Council on Sept. 22, it described a daytime fall-color golf-cart tour as part of a combined Fall Fest and color tour. The DDA asked for help with the rest of the rental cost, and the council voted to spend $695 on golf-cart rentals for the event.

It's a small amount, and that's what makes it interesting. The color tour isn't a private vendor's add-on. It's a festival feature the Village helped pay for, and it runs on a trail the Village is also trying to rebuild.

This isn't the first time this year the DDA has used the riverfront as its stage. Its free Riverbank Music Series ran Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., June through August, at the Village Amphitheater, which sits beside the river and the Paul Henry Trail. The Hastings Banner reported that the concerts moved to Thursdays to avoid conflicts with Hastings Live, with a food truck each evening. Over the same summer, B. Healthy Barry County started a walking group that met Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at the Stagecoach Gazebo for hour-long walks on the Paul Henry Trail. Both seasonal series are over, so Fall Fest is the trail's next big moment on the calendar.

The Bridges South of the Village Offices

The Paul Henry Thornapple Trail follows a former railroad line from Kalamazoo through Middleville to Grand Rapids. On the Middleville stretch, two bridges just south of the Village offices need replacing. "They've passed their lifespan, for sure," Stolsonburg said.

The Sun and News reported on Sept. 12 that the full project could cost as much as $3 million. Here's how the funding was described:

1. Michigan Department of Transportation: a $2 million grant, the largest share, with "conditional approval" expected soon.
2. Michigan Department of Natural Resources: another $400,000 grant.
3. Community donations: about $150,000 raised so far.
4. Village of Middleville: $200,000 committed.
5. Thornapple and Irving townships: financial support pledged, amount not reported.

The known pieces add up to about $2.75 million, with the township pledges still to be counted. "We've received a lot of community support already for the project," Stolsonburg said.

Nothing is final yet. Because the MDOT money comes from federal funds, the project needs a survey to check for possible Native American burial sites along the route. A preliminary survey found none. "Once that is approved, we should have final clearance to get the funds," Stolsonburg said.

The timeline is longer than a festival weekend. Officials expect final grant approval in late October or early November. If it comes through, 2027 will mostly be for planning and construction would follow in 2028. According to Stolsonburg's report to the council, the work would cover more than the bridges:

"If our application is approved, we would be looking at a construction date of 2028 to complete the bridge reconstruction, resurfacing of the trail from Stagecoach Park to McCann Road, improving the trailhead near McCann Road and adding some signage and other elements to the trail project."

If you walk, bike or push a stroller between Stagecoach Park and McCann Road, that's your stretch. The color tour on Saturday rolls along a trail whose biggest upgrade in years depends on a state decision due within weeks.

Who Carries the Fourth After 2027

The Lions Club request finishes the picture. Beck told the council the club no longer has enough members to keep running the Fourth of July celebration. He also said the club is already preparing for 2027 and would work with Village officials, with the Village possibly taking over in 2028. "We're still committed to next year," he said. He added that the event would be expected to stay free to the public, including parking and all the activities.

Village President Kevin Smith said the council would put the request on an upcoming agenda. He also credited Beck and the Lions Club: "You're a gift to this community." So the Fourth isn't changing hands yet. The 2027 celebration stays with the Lions, and anything after that still needs a council decision.

Put it all together and the 2026 calendar shows a clear pattern. The DDA ran the summer concerts. It's bringing Fall Fest back. It's running Christmas on the River, too. The Village is chasing the trail money, and it's being asked to pick up the town's biggest summer event from a service club that says it has run out of people to staff it.

What Comes Next on the Calendar

After Saturday, the next dates to watch are these:

• Late October or early November: expected final approval of the MDOT and DNR trail grants.
• Dec. 3: Christmas on the River, 5:30 to 8 p.m., listed by both the DDA and the Village.
• Dec. 5: a second Christmas on the River date, 4 to 7 p.m., shown on the DDA's page but not on the Village calendar. Check before you go.
• An upcoming council agenda: the Lions Club's request for the Village to take over the Fourth of July starting in 2028.

Fall Fest runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at 91 E. Main St., and golf-cart rides along the trail are on the announced lineup.

If you're curious how a trail project, a revived festival or a change in who runs the Fourth might shape your corner of Middleville over the next few years, the team at Welcome Home West Michigan is glad to talk it through over coffee at Left Field. Book a Consultation when you're ready, or just say hi if you see us at Fall Fest.