More people came to this year’s Holy Family Catholic Parish’s annual picnic this year than last year, despite rain moving through Arnold just after the parade started the second day of the event.
Wendy Haglin, who is one of the picnic’s organizers, said about 4,000 people attended the event on May 15-16. She said about 3,500 attended last year’s picnic.
“I love how many people came,” said the Rev. Gerald Blessing, Holy Family’s pastor. “It was a great community event. We are celebrating this parish, but we are celebrating the community. It was an enjoyable time.”
Holy Family was formed when the Immaculate Conception and St. David parishes merged in August 2023 as part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ “All Things New” initiative. On Monday, parish officials said they did not know how much money Holy Family collected from the picnic.
The parish did sell all 300 of its raffle tickets before the event with the first-place winner collecting $10,000, second place receiving $2,500 and third place receiving $1,500. Names of winners were not available Monday.
“We sold out right as the picnic began,” Haglin said of the raffle tickets.
Haglin said the rain on May 16 did not dampen the festivities, which included carnival rides, games, a petting zoo, bubble machine, free ballon creations and food.
“The rain was nothing more than washing off the pavement,” she said. “It cooled down throughout (May 16), and it was a wonderful evening.”
Haglin said the first night of the picnic on May 15 was primarily attended by families with children who attend the Holy Family Catholic School, which also is on the parish’s campus at 2300 Church Road, and parishioners.
School families received $10 in tickets to purchase food, beverages and play games. The school’s Home and School Board provided the tickets.
Haglin said the picnic provided a great opportunity for parents with children in different grade levels to meet.
“The contribution from Home and School encourages parents to come, and it is huge,” she said. “It allows parents to meet each other, and you would be surprised how that builds. Now that different parents know each other, and one needs help for school events, like the trunk-or-treat, they have different people to reach out to because they developed a relationship.”
The second day of the picnic started with a parade, which began in the Walmart parking lot and proceeded onto Michigan Avenue and then Church Road before turning into the parish’s parking lot.
Haglin said the first-grade class won the best float award with its depiction of a circus. The class received a free pizza party.
“The parade was better than it has ever been,” she said. “The floats were so good. The star of the circus was the lion, which was a Golden Retriever.”
The second day also featured plenty of free activities. There were two sessions with a bubble cannon, one after the parade and another in evening. A petting zoo operated near the rectory for about two hours, and a balloon artist made free creations for about two hours during the picnic on May 16.
“Those attractions allow kids something to do without having to spend money, and it helps families stay longer,” Haglin said. “We get sponsors for all of those things, so parents can stay longer.”
There also were two musical performances in the evening on the second day. The CBC Rock Band performed for about an hour followed by performances by The Instigators.
“The CBC band was amazing,” Haglin said. “I don’t have words for how good they were.
“People have fallen in love with the (The Instigators). That tent was full.”
Haglin said the crowd reached its high point near the end of the second day before a fireworks show was held from the parish’s athletic fields.
“We try to make the fireworks bigger and better every year,” she said. “Everyone loved them this year. They were remarkable.”
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