Community Invited to Bethalto Homecoming Weekend Fun
BETHALTO - The community is invited to the 107th annual Bethalto Homecoming this weekend.
Hosted in Bethalto City Park by the Bethalto Fire Department, the festival includes a carnival, vendor fair, live music and more fun. All proceeds benefit the fire department. Derek Mormino, the department’s president, looks forward to welcoming people and having a great weekend with his hometown.
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“We’re doing the best we can to put on this event for the community, and hopefully, everybody comes out and enjoys the wonderful weekend that we have lined up for them,” he said.
The festivities run from 6–10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Steve Ewing will play throughout the night. Luehrs’ Ideal Rides, which is responsible for the carnival, will allow two people to ride for the price of one.
On Saturday, Sept. 5, the carnival opens at 1 p.m. and runs through 10 p.m. Soulshine Groove will play from 1–5 p.m., followed by Up All Night STL until 10 p.m.
Sunday’s live music includes Shotgun Creek from 1–5 p.m. and Superjam from 6–10 p.m. Rides are discounted until 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
On Monday, Sept. 7, all rides take just one ticket from 12–6 p.m. John Stimac will provide live music from 12–4 p.m.
You can purchase tickets in advance and save $10 when you buy 22 tickets for $20. Tickets can be purchased at Bethalto Village Hall or the fire department. Presale ends on Sept. 2. You can also buy tickets at the Bethalto Homecoming.
A vendor fair, featuring a variety of local favorites and new vendors, will also be part of the festival.
All proceeds from the homecoming benefit the Bethalto Fire Department. Made up of volunteers, the department uses this money to better serve the community. This is the department’s biggest fundraiser every year.
“It’s a tremendous help for us from the community,” Mormino said. “Last year, we raised probably the most amount of money that I think we’ve raised in a while.”
Mormino explained that last year’s homecoming allowed them to purchase a side-by-side, which they will use on Bethalto’s new bike trails and in other situations where they cannot bring a truck onto the scene. While Mormino acknowledges that no one wants to need the fire department’s assistance, it makes a big difference to know that they’re equipped for whatever happens.
“Obviously, buying a side-by-side will help out tremendously in this community that we can provide this for them,” he said. “Hopefully nobody ever has to use it. But now we have it if we need it.”
Beyond the fundraising, the homecoming is a fun weekend for the community to come together and celebrate Bethalto. Mormino has heard quite a few times that the Bethalto Homecoming is “the way homecoming used to be.” The tradition is nostalgic for many attendees, and it means a lot to Mormino and his crew to be able to put on the event every year.
“It’s fun. We look forward to this event every year,” he added. “It’s great to see the community come together.”
For more information about the Bethalto Homecoming, including a full lineup of events, click here or visit the official Bethalto Fire Department Facebook page.
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