It’s Strawberry Festival week end in Belleville

The 42nd-annual Belleville National Strawberry Festival will take place this weekend, with the big parade beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Grand marshals for this year’s parade are Fritz and Juanita Martin.
Their business, Martin and Son, just celebrated 61 years of service to the Belleville community.
It all started when Frederick (Fritz) Martin returned from his tour of duty in Korea. He and his father Henry opened Martin and Son as co-owners at 401 Sumpter Road.
When they first opened the doors, they repaired farm machinery and lawn mowers as much as vehicles. For the first few years of the business they also sold Sinclair gas, but found that this took too much time away from their repair work and gave up that part of the business.
In 1974 Henry Martin passed away, leaving Fritz with the business. As time has gone by, Fritz’s son Randy and grandson Brent Martin continued the legacy with Fritz, at the age of 86, still showing up to work every day.
At this time, Martin and Son has three generations working there.
Fritz has also been very instrumental with his mentorship to many farmers, craftsmen, mechanics, other small businesses and has been asked by larger companies for his professional opinions.
Martin and Son has always been true to the area, hiring people within the township and city limits. They have hired students who graduated from the Belleville High School Vocational Center and were also a part of helping Vo-Tech teachers get their state certifications when it became a requirement of the State of Michigan.
Fritz also has always been family oriented with his wife Juanita doing the accounts payable, receivables and advertising for 20 years of the business and then it was handed down to each daughter and now Randy’s wife Debra has the job.
The parade steps off from BHS at 11 a.m. and heads down West Columbia Avenue to Five Points and then up Main Street to the museum.
According to parade director Tina Brooks Green, the following units have signed up to participate as of Monday and will be in the parade, but not necessarily in this order:
• Wayne Westland Special Olympics
• Meijer Antique truck
• Sumpter Fire Dept.
• Belleville Fire Dept.
• Van Buren Fire Dept.
• Belleville elected officials
• Sumpter elected officials
• Van Buren elected officials
• Huron Valley Ambulance
• Grand Marshal Martin and Son
• TCF Bank
• Evelyn Kasperek 2017 National Strawberry Festival Queen
• Greca Choi Kwang Do
• Belleville High School Marching Band
• Belleville Police Dept.
• Sumpter Police Dept.
• Van Buren Police Dept.
• Southwestern Wayne Democratic Club
• VFW 4434/PLAV 162
• Augusta Township Fire Engine 3-2
• Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
• Belleville High School Football
• Shriner’s
• Belleville Area Women’s Club
• Evangelical Friends Church
• Pack 793 St. Anthony Color Guard
• Walton Woods Cherry Hill Bus
• Zap Zone
• Belleville Central Business Community
• Open Arms Lutheran Church
• Erika Geiss for State Senate
• Holiday Inn Express
• Belleville Tigers Youth Football and Cheer
• Cinnamon’s Car Show
• International Young Miss Pure Pageant Lydia Marvaso
• P & P Dance
• Culver’s
• F.I.R.S.T. Robotics
• State Representative Kristy Pagan
• Al Garza for State Representative
The festival will run from noon to 10 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The venues for activities are downtown Belleville, St. Anthony Catholic Church grounds, and Trinity Episcopal and Belleville Presbyterian churches on Belleville Road. The annual Cinnamon’s Car Show will start at 9 am. on Father’s Day at Victory Park.
The Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce Lakeside Strawberry 5K Run/Walk & 1 K Fun Run starts off the day on Saturday. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. at Horizon Park.