Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
July 25, 2001
Upcoming parish festivals offer summer fun
Church bazaars feature ethnic food, entertainment, build community
By Alwen Bledsoe
Summer is quickly waning and many of its festivities have come and gone, but for aficionados of good food, community, celebrations of culture, and fun and games, the season's remaining church festivals and bazaars provide an excellent opportunity for evenings of eating, drinking and merriment.
While most festivals pretty much follow the same formula — lots of food and drink, carnival rides, games, gambling, and raffles — each also finds its own unique niche reflective of the different personalities and cultures that make up the Church in Colorado.
St. Peter in Greeley breaks the festival mold with festivities spanning an entire week and featuring, literally, a "million-in-one" opportunity for golf-lovers. The Sept. 8 charity golf tournament, co-sponsored by All Pro Mortgage Services in Greeley, features a $1-million-hole-in-one, said organizers. The tournament is being held at Highland Hills Golf Course and begins with a 7:30 a.m. "shot-gun start." Additional players and sponsors are welcome.
Masses and times for socializing and praying throughout the week provide opportunities for additional fellowship. Sept. 15 the parish will hold a grand auction, a silent auction, and a catered dinner on the grounds of St. Peter.
The week culminates in a 10 a.m. Sept. 16 Mass at University of Northern Colorado's Garden Theater. Silent auctions, carnival rides, games, music and entertainment, a beer garden, a barbecue-style picnic, and a street dance follow.
Featuring Mexican food, music, and traditional dancing is St. Cajetan's bazaar August 3-5. Along with pickles and Mexican bingo, the coronation of a festival Queen and King, and traditional bazaar booths, the festival will also provide information tables about immigration and other legal services, said Bazaar Chair Daniel Renteria.
Parishioners hope to raise enough money to finish a community center where the church plans to house programs addressing the needs of its mostly Hispanic community.
"So we can help them improve their lives," said Renteria, elaborating that potential programs include those encouraging kids to stay in school and pursue college, and adult English as a Second Language and computer classes. The debt for the center is already at $400,000 and money is still needed to paint the building, he added.
Raffle tickets are $2 each and 10 for $6. First prize is $1,000.
Sts. Peter and Paul, celebrating its 2nd annual AutumnFest, is also featuring a Mexican theme Sept. 15 with religious Mexican music, Mexican dance, and a mariachi band. A dance, bratwurst dinners, face painting and a clown are all highlights, said AutumnFest Co-chair Jim Lutz. The annual school raffle provides funding for the parish's elementary school. First prize is $1,000.
Italian culture, especially its food, is what is being featured at Shrine of St. Anne Parish this year. The festival is celebrated the last weekend of July to coincide with St. Anne's feast day, said Bazaar Chair Jan Krajewski. A climbing wall, face painting, carnival rides, margaritas, burritos, and a raffle drawing for a first prize of $2,000 are highlights, he said. Raffle tickets are $1 or 6/$5. Prizes are $2,000, $1,000 and $500.
Assumption Parish boasts a festival full of rich cultural delicacies — American, Mexican, and Italian, said organizer Regina Parys. Along with great food are traditional bazaar games for adults and children as well as an air castle for kids to test out their jumping and bounding skills.
The highlight of the July 27-29 festival, said Parys, is the grand prize raffle drawing at 10 p.m. on Sunday. Grand prize is a 2001 Dodge Ram Truck. Other prizes include a cedar chest filled past capacity with gifts, a Sears tool chest, and yard fountains. Raffle tickets for the grand prize are $5 or 6/$25. All other tickets are $1 and 6/$5.
According to Bazaar Chair Marsha Boyd, Holy Trinity's FunFest is the largest, in terms of booth numbers, in Colorado. Fourteen booths hold games and prizes for kids, and the festival highlights a total of 40 different booths and activities, including a country store, a used bookstore, gambling, and games.
The grand-prize-winning raffle ticket is worth $10,000, and while tickets are pricey — $100 each — only 400 are sold, upping the chances of winning, said Boyd. Other raffle tickets for a $500 prize are $1 each and 6/$5.
"The best thing is we all support each other throughout the community," she said, adding that 300 volunteers make the FunFest possible and parishes support one another and build community as they attend each other's festivals.
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