Fall festivals bring family fun, games to community

By Andrew Junker | Nov. 4, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

At four o’clock in the afternoon Oct. 17, a steady stream of ghosts, black cats and the Pink Ladies from the movie “Grease” entered the grounds of St. John Bosco Interparish School.

No, they weren’t reenacting your most recent nightmare. They were students of the Catholic school enjoying the Harvest Fest, now in its seventh year.

“This year, we had a petting zoo and we brought in a few different games,” said Kristin Hamilton, chairperson for the festival. “Our school goes from preschool to eighth grade, so we tried to get activities attractive to all those age groups.”

Many of the youngest children were grouped around a woman dressed as a fairy godmother. She was sprinkling the air with some shimmering dust and handing out little party favors.

Some of the older kids proved their mettle on the jousting game, or showed their endurance by scaling the large, plastic rock wall. And nearly everyone spent some time warily eying the llama in the petting zoo.

Hamilton said the festival provides families with a fun-filled evening on a budget. She estimated that a family of six could attend the Harvest Fest, have a complete dinner with dessert and enjoy all the games for about $75.

That’s one of the reasons why fall festivals or carnivals remain so popular with local parishes and schools, said Sue Holly, the parish manager at St. Luke. She helped plan this year’s Octoberfest for the parish, a massive celebration spanning three days and including a classic car show, live music, international food and a live and silent auction.

St. Luke’s has hosted Octoberfest for the past 21 years, and it’s become a hit with the local community.

“It always comes around the time of the state fair, and at first we thought that was going to be a detriment,” Holly said. “But the neighbors really like it because it’s cheaper to bring their kids here. It feels safer and it’s closer. We get calls all the time asking about Octoberfest.”

It’s also a big financial boon for the parish. Holly estimated that this year’s Octoberfest brought in between $32,000 and $33,000. The parish will put the funds toward maintaining its buildings, which are 22 years old and “in need of everything,” Holly said.

This weekend, Corpus Christi Parish will host its second carnival featuring a beer garden, rides, bingo and a raffle whose prizes include a 2010 Toyota Corolla.

Michael Savage, parish manager, said the planning committee used their experience last year to help plan for the upcoming festival.

He said that the money raised by the carnival last year went toward tiling the vestibule of the church and replacing its air conditioners.

Hamilton didn’t view the St. John Bosco Harvest Fest primarily as a fundraiser like many other parish and school festivals. Instead, she said it’s just a way to offer families and supporters of the school a fun time. Nevertheless, whatever funds were raised will be put toward a shade structure covering the school’s carpool drop-off point.

“We had a record attendance this year. People love the Harvest Fest, it’s just something they want to do,” she said. “We’re just a proud community of Catholic families.”