Thousands flock to annual church fair

Despite losing one night to rain, organizers of Blessed Sacrament Church’s Family Festival say the third annual event was a success. The festival, which featured rides, games, entertainment, food and more, was held last Friday through Sunday along McKeon Avenue and in the church parking lot.

Bad weather forced the cancellation of the festival’s planned opening night on Aug. 1. However, The Rev. Peter Dugandzic, pastor of Blessed Sacrament, said crowds the other three nights were in the thousands, with peak attendance between 8 and 9 p.m.

This year’s event raised tens of thousands of dollars for the parish, though the exact total is still being calculated. Dugandzic said he expects this year to have been the most profitable so far, a testament to hard work of the festival committee and parishioners who volunteered their time to work the fair.

Dugandzic said the festival becomes more popular each year, and the word is spreading that it is a clean, fun event. “I think people are starting to expect it,” he said. “They know at the beginning of August we’re going to be doing this.”