Town of Bel Air Government

10/20/2026

Mark your calendars for Sunday, November 1! That is the day when the christmasinbelair.com website goes live for the 2026 holiday season!

As in prior years, this website will be the hub where users can get all the information they need about holiday events happening in Bel Air, such as Winter Wonderland in Bel Air, the annual Bel Air Christmas parade and tree-lighting ceremony, the train garden, light displays and more.

Also, the Board of Town Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution during their meeting on Monday, October 19 to make parking at metered spaces on the street FREE between Thanksgiving Day (November 26) and New Year's Day (January 1). That way, visitors to downtown Bel Air during the holiday season can "shop, dine and be merry" without having to worry about paying to park on the street!

10/17/2026

The final Belle Aire Market of 2026, hosted by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, is happening this Sunday, October 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at 121 S. Main Street, next to Das Bierhalle Bel Air.

Come on out and enjoy live music while you check out artisan and craft vendors.

10/17/2026

It's never too early to get ready for the holiday season! Winter Wonderland in Bel Air is seeking volunteers to come out this Sunday, October 18, help set up lights and decorations. Meet at Armory Park, next to the Bel Air Armory, at 10 a.m.

The Winter Wonderland festivities for 2026 kick off on Saturday, November 28.

Follow Winter Wonderland on social media for updates, and visit the christmasinbelair.com website when it goes live closer to the holiday season for information on all the festivities happening in Bel Air.

RESCHEDULED to SUNDAY, OCT 18th

Due to rainy weather on Saturday, we have pulled the plug on our first lighting installation.

Please come out Sunday, from 10am to 12pm if you'd like to help begin decorating our town for Winter Wonderland festivities 2026. Meet us at Armory Park!

SPREAD THE WORD!!

10/16/2026

Earlier this week, Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting and Town Commissioner Jake Taylor joined members of the Town's Tree Committee and Planning Department staff in celebrating the Liberty Elm, an American elm tree planted on the grounds of Town Hall in celebration of America's 250th anniversary.

The tree, which was planted in late September, currently stands at about 20 to 25 feet high and can grow as high as 100 feet. It can be found behind the flower bed at the intersection of North Hickory Avenue and Lee Way, near the war memorial outside Bel Air Police Department headquarters.

A plaque was placed at the base of the tree on Wednesday, October 14. It marks the Tree Committee's initiative to "honor America's past while looking toward our nation's future."

The final photo in this set shows the tree in September with a full complement of leaves, but with rainy weather over the past weekend, most have come off. We are looking forward to seeing a crown filled with leaves come next spring!

10/16/2026

Harford County is part of an area encompassing much of Maryland, along with Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and the West Virginia panhandle that is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8 p.m. on Friday, October 16.

This storm is expected to come with heavy rainfall and high winds featuring gusts of 40 to 50 mph, according to the Harford County Department of Emergency Services.

UPDATE: Watch canceled

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 686 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS, including Harford County.

10/16/2026

The band Southland closed out the second and final night of the 2026 MD State BBQ Bash this past weekend. The two-day event, held Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10 in the Mary E.W. Risteau building parking lot, was hosted by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance.

Mere moments after the four-member Southland ended their set of country and rock song covers, officers with the Bel Air Police Department and staffers with the Bel Air Department of Public Works leapt into action. Police cleared the way for a DPW garbage truck as workers emptied trash and recycling cans.

We hope everyone had fun at the Bash, enjoyed some good music and good food, and we look forward to the 2027 event!

10/15/2026

What a great turnout by Bel Air Elementary School students, parents, staff, faculty and administrators for the annual Walk-a-Thon to benefit the BAES PTA!

The walkers made their way from the school along Hickory Avenue to Harford County Public Schools headquarters at Hickory and Courtland Place, then back to their school via Main Street, all while under the watchful eyes of Bel Air Police Department personnel who directed traffic at various intersections.

Additional thanks to everyone who turned out along the route to cheer on the walkers! If you would like to help the PTA reach their fundraising goal, visit the Walk-a-Thon page on Givebacks.com -- link in comments.

10/15/2026

The Town of Bel Air is pleased to partner with the Harford Land Trust, Harford Streams - Green Choices. Healthy Streams. and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay on an opportunity for members of the community to become Certified Maryland Tree Stewards!

The program, offered through HLT's Grow Wild initiative, starts in mid-November, with two virtual training sessions on Tuesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 12. Students will then be able to put their training into practice with a tree-planting session in Bel Air's Rockfield Park on Saturday, November 14.

See the shared post for details, or visit growwildharford.org/maryland-tree-stewards-2026

10/10/2026

Main Street in downtown Bel Air is popping with the color pink this October, in the form of "Paint the Town Pink" banners that can be seen hanging from light poles.

Paint the Town Pink is an annual campaign of the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance and the UM-Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation to raise money for Cancer LifeNet during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Cancer LifeNet is a program for patients being treated at the Kaufman Cancer Center at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. Patients receive support services to guide them and their families through each step of the treatment process.

In addition to the banners on light poles, a long banner has been posted on a fence next to the law offices of Snee, Lutche & Helmlinger, P.A. on South Main Street. Scan the QR code for more information on Paint the Town Pink, or visit umms.org/uch/giving/fundraising-events/paint-the-town-pink.

You also can visit the social media pages of either the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance or UCH Foundation for more on the local businesses, community organizations and schools that are hosting events this month to support the Paint the Town Pink campaign.