Church of the Ascension hosts Friendship Fair fun

The Church of the Ascension held their biennial Friendship Fair on Oct. 13 and 14. “It’s a great way for us to connect to individuals in the community,” Father Kevin Morris said. “People get to walk around our church and look at our space, which they wouldn’t normally do.”

Inside the church building, tables were stacked high with raffle prizes. On the stage, shelves of books, from poetry to history, were set up for a book sale. “People mostly donated these things,” Morris said. “What’s left over is going to be donated to the Sandel Senior Center for their Fall Fair,” which is set for Oct. 20.

In the church’s award-winning garden, flea market tables were set up underneath white tents, covered with donated kitchenware, toys and games, along with other knick-knacks and home goods. Across the footpath, games for young children were set up, including a ring toss, fishing for plastic ducks in a blow-up pool, and a rocking horse suspended between springs that a few riders seemed determined to push to their limits.

Parishioner Mark Weisenreder said that even though setting up for the fair was a lot of work, it provided an opportunity to interact with new parishioners. “They learn our quixotic ways and quirks,” he said. “It really brings us together.”