Hundreds attend annual Fall Festival

Well over 700 people attended the events and activities of the Sacred Heart Church annual Fall Festival the weekend of Sept. 13, 14 and 15. As usual, the street in front of the church was closed to traffic and covered over by a giant tent. Activities took place there and in other locations on the church grounds. 

The first public event was the Friday evening fish fry from 5 to 7 p.m.; organizers estimate about 200 people took part. A concession stand was operational all weekend. 

Saturday things got started at noon with “early bird” bingo games at noon followed by “Super Bingo” at 2 p.m. Volunteers began serving a pork loin sandwich dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. with a Festival Children’s Choir church service at 5. All through Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, a wide variety of items were for sale inside the Treanor-Campion Building (Parish Center): budding plants, pickles, doilies, knitted goods, fresh vegetables, apples, as well as baked goods including pies and bars. Lori Mickelson, Regent for the Sacred Heart Catholic Daughters of the Americas said, “We encourage all our members to donate to the Country Store. It really helps.” Donated items came not only from members of Waseca’s Sacred Heart, but also sister church members who attend New Richland’s All Saints Church; the two congregations have been associated for about a year.

The Silent Auction, available all weekend, offered donated baskets filled with candy, coffees, fresh fruits, media items like movies or mugs were there to bid on. There was a Bethany Lutheran clothing basket, an RC racecar basket, a teddy bear basket and a stain-remover basket with assorted cleaning chemicals and tools. Across from that in the TC Building gymnasium was the Book Fair where kids and adults could go and find a book they’re interested in, there was also an assortment of candy for sale and novelty items like 3-D bookmarks.

At the White Elephant sale, lightly used goods were available for purchase. Buyers were offered a rich variety of options including Christmas lights, clothing, or woodworking items, kitchen utensils and framed pictures.

Many options for children were open all weekend. At the kid carnival there were bounce houses, crafts such as rock painting, and games like Lion’s Mouth, Minnow Races, Car Racing, Dice Roll, Ring Toss, The Lucky Lock House, Bag Toss, Sucker Tree, Fruit ‘n’ Stein, Sling Shot, Fling a Thing, Catch a Critter, Snipers Edge, a Basketball Challenge, Cristen’s Putt Putt. There was also face painting, crazy hair and a Build a Bear trailer.

Becky Petsinger was on the Fall Festival Committee, working the concessions under the tent. She has been pleased with this year’s turnout, “On Friday we had around 200 people, Saturday was upwards of 300 and Sunday with the church attendance there have been 200 people so far.”

Petsinger credited the cooperative, giving approach of event volunteers for much of the weekend’s success, commenting that experienced workers were happy to share their knowledge and understanding with beginners. 

“It’s a lot of work,” Petsinger admitted, “but people see the fellowship and community this brings in and the benefits that come with that for the school. We’re all gears working and grinding together, and it really has worked out well this year.”

Besides all that, she observed, “The weather has been perfect.” Saturday alone sold 188 pork loin dinner tickets, that’s not counting concessions, the stores or kids’ carnival, with all proceeds going to the school.