New venue and new acts announced for Belleville Downtown Blues Festival

Thanks to the support of the City of Belleville, the Belleville Downtown Blues Festival will have the use of the Parrott Stage at the Market Square and have engaged SoulFire to play at noon on September 6.

Hailing from Eastern Ontario, SoulFire is a seasoned live band known for their engaging mix of blues, rock, and soul. With a lineup of pro musicians, SoulFire brings a polished, energetic sound that connects with audiences and keeps the dance floor moving.

Blending tight musicianship with a warm stage presence, the band delivers a well-crafted performance that spans retro grooves, classic blues, and soulful rock favorites. Their shows offer something for everyone—always lively, always authentic, and always fun.

At the heart of SoulFire is Anne “Mamavox” Misztal, whose expressive vocals, fervent harmonica playing, and natural charisma anchor the group’s sound. Guitarist and vocalist Gene Clayton adds soulful vocals with his sizzling guitar work, while Deborah Schuurmans brings color and character on keys. Holding it all together are Michael Filer on bass and Thomas Usher on drums, creating a solid, danceable rhythm section.

“Our theme this year is to focus on dynamite women in Blues and we are so happy and grateful to the City for the resources to add this event to our festival,” said Carol Feeney, co-founder and producer of Belleville Downtown Blues. She, along with co-founder and Musical Director Tony Vani and ethnomusicologist/historian advisor, Paul Denyes, are looking forward to a great event that takes place over two days beginning September 5.

Denyes and Chris Hinde have just confirmed that the theme of the demonstration at the Belleville Public Library at 11 a.m. on September 6 is “Classic (Women) Blues Singers”.

Feeney added, “Our event is also a family friendly event and we have added artist Marc Bourdon who will be face painting and balloon artist, Christopher to Twistopher, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Front Street September 6.” Feeney adds.

All events are free thanks to the supporters of the festival with the expectation that people will provide cash and food donations to Gleaners Foodbank who will be onsite to accept these generous gifts.

Downtown Blues not only supports blues music and the musicians that engage in this genre, it is a Blues For Food movement helping to provide nutrition to families and kids experiencing food insecurity in the Belleville area.

The complete schedule is available at downtownblues.ca and organizers are developing a rain back up plan for the outdoor events so all will happen rain or shine.