Arts, Beats & Eats takes over Jarvis Street for second year

Bridgeburg is back and better than ever after Jarvis Street filled with thousands looking for food, music and community spirit.

The Bridgeburg BIA hosted its second annual Arts, Beats & Eats festival on Saturday, drawing crowds for chalk art, live music, food trucks and local vendors. The festival offered a glimpse of the downtown area’s revival and growing momentum.

Artists arrived from Fort Erie and beyond to take part in beautifying Jarvis Street with a chalk art competition, a highlight of the day.

Sara Dunn won first place and $1,000 for her angelfish mural. Second place went to Rockabilly Steve, who received $750, and third place to Melanie Pike for her Niagara River scene and a $500 prize, all sponsored by local businesses.

“Everybody’s been really excited because the weather held out. It’s been a beautiful day, with great chalk artists on the street and new stores popping up,” said Korinne Antaya, Bridgeburg BIA vice chair and owner of The Fox Shop and the newly opened Koko & Jinx.

“There’s excitement around the entire event,” she told Fort Erie Radio Saturday afternoon.

Musical acts took the stage near Canada Post, including Public House, Hebridean, student musicians from the Fort Erie School of Music, and internationally recognized Canadian singer Billy Raffoul headlining the event.

DJ Shub, a two-time Juno Award winner and Fort Erie native, delivered a high-energy evening set remixing Indigenous music with dance hits in his classic style. Traditional Indigenous dancers joined him on stage, adding a powerful visual element that drew loud cheers from the packed street.

Food trucks lined the top of Jarvis Street while vendors and businesses filled bottom toward the river, drawing steady foot traffic through the afternoon and evening.

Dana Nadeau, owner of The Manic Maker and Bridgeburg BIA member, told Fort Erie Radio that organizing the event is “a lot of chaos at first, but once everyone gets in place, the day just takes care of itself.”

“It’s a very small-knit community where, when you do things, people support it, whether it’s a business or anything else,” added Vince Salvatori, Bridgeburg BIA chair and owner of Fate Salon.

Salvatori believes the area’s resurgence is continuing.

“The community should recognize that downtown Bridgeburg is up and coming, with positive momentum. You’ll see more of us creating successful events like Halloween, the Christmas parade, and beyond,” he said.

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