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Parish Picnic Is Ready For A Most Happy Return This Year
St. Peter’s Parish Picnic is a “go” for this year, with the goal of grossing $100,000 to support our school within our reach.
Although the event had to be canceled last year, this year everything is set for Aug. 28, after the 4 p.m. Mass. The festivities will last until Midnight.
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“Last year would have been our 10th year, so actually this is the 11th year,” says James Weisenberger. He and his wife, Kari, are one of the four picnic Chair couples.
Safety protocols will be in place with hand sanitizer stations placed throughout the grounds, among other measures.
“It’s a little different this year,” James says. “When you get a large number of people, you try to distance them as much as possible. Hopefully, with the vaccines and people being careful, we’ll get a lot more together and be safe.”
An overview photo from the 2019 Parish Picnic shows just how extensive the event truly is.
Throughout the evening, as many as 5,000 to 6,000 people, both from the parish and the wider community, come out for great food prepared by our parishioners, live music, and games, all with no admission. The band Brushville was scheduled for last year and they generously rolled our deposit forward to this year. There will be plenty of space for dancing!
Father Leo meticulously prepares his famous “Father Leo Brats,” and man are they good! There will also be cash prizes with a raffle and a silent auction. Children can win prizes in their games area.
Throughout the fun and fellowship, the picnic has an important role to play in both the parish and community.
“We want a safe place to gather, have fun, and meet new people,” James says. “It’s a nice evening for everyone to mingle and have fun.”
Planning for the picnic begins right after the previous one ends. The committee then meets monthly to review any issues to be corrected so the next picnic runs smoothly.
What makes the picnic so successful, besides the planning by the committee, are the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time and talents. It normally takes about two days to set up the grounds.
It’s a great way to keep your beverage cold on a hot August day while showing parish pride!
In addition to all of the great food, the picnic offers plenty of fun and games for attendees of all ages!
“It takes a pretty good team to put this on and help with manpower wherever it is needed,” James says. “We have a pretty good group to set up before. They bring in all materials and pick things up loaned by the Knights of Columbus. The guys know how it is all laid out. They know how the electric needs to be run, and so forth, and how to put it all together. That takes the longest time. This allows the chairs to focus on getting the main items ready.”
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the picnic — besides raising money for the school — is that it enables everyone to embrace stewardship. Parishioners take up the tasks of preparing for the picnic and running the events from their hearts. The volunteers usually have an area of interest and sign up to help, whether just for a few hours or for the entire event.
