The Holy Family Fall Festival will be held from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday at the parish’s Tenbrook Road campus where St. David Catholic Church is located, 2334 Tenbrook Road, in Arnold.
The festival will feature carnival games, raffles, kids karaoke, a silent auction, performances by the Exit 180 band and more.
There will be plenty of food available for purchase. Ashley Mayer, one of the festival’s organizers, said people may purchase hamburgers, hot dogs pulled pork and more.
“They also offer chili because it is the fall so you can make chili dogs or have a cup of chili,” she said. “There will be grilled corn on the cob and funnel cakes too.”
Mayer said the organizing committee selected carnival games that have been the most popular at past fall festivals and the annual parish picnic, which is traditionally held at the Church Road campus, where Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is located, in May. Other booths will be set up on the fairgrounds in the parking lot next to St. David’s church and gym.
“The plant booth is always very popular and sells out quick,” she said. “There will be a wine-and-dine booth. The Holy Family school board will have a booth as well.”
A silent auction will be set up in the gym, where people may bid on baskets. Mayer said the parish will use an online bidding app called GiveSmart for people to bid on auction items and baskets.
The parish is holding a raffle with a grand prize of $2,000. Names also will be drawn for a second-place prize of $500, third-place prize of $250, fourth-place prize of $150 and fifth-place prize of $100. The drawing will be held at about 9 p.m., and winners do not have to be at the festival to collect their prizes.
“We have already sold 400 tickets,” Mayer said on Sept. 12. “Also, I think people will want to buy tickets the day of the festival.”
A Rock Community Fire Protection District truck and ambulance from the Rock Township Ambulance District are expected to be at the festival from noon to 3 p.m. for people to tour the vehicles.
A DJ will play music throughout the event, and kids karaoke will make its festival debut. Holy Family had kids karaoke at the parish picnic in the spring.
“It (kids karaoke) is something I am really looking forward to,” Mayer said. “It was such a hit at the picnic. It went over really well, and the kids really enjoyed it.”
Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. in St. David Church. The parish had moved all masses to the Church Road campus at the start of the month with Saturday and two masses on Sunday held in the Immaculate Conception Church and another mass held in the Parish Center.
There will not be a Saturday mass at Immaculate Conception Church the day of the festival.
“It is a special mass because the event is being held at that campus,” she said.
Exit 180 is scheduled to perform from 6-10 p.m. One of the band members, Sue Barbagallo, is a member of the parish, Mayer said.
“It is pretty cool that Sue and the band are able to do these events,” she said. “The parishioners, and really everybody, loves them. They are family friendly, and they rock.”
Mayer said the fall festival is enjoyable because it has a small-town feel, and it is a little more laidback than the parish picnic, which has carnival rides and is more spread out.
“It is kind of chilled and relaxed,” she said of the festival. “The church is in a residential area, and it is a smaller space, so it is easier to see your children and visit with people.”
The Holy Family Catholic Parish was created when the Archdiocese of St. Louis merged the Immaculate Conception and St. David parishes in Arnold into one as part of its “All Things New” initiative in May 2023.
“Everyone seems to be excited and eager to make this event a success,” said Mayer. “We are trying to incorporate the traditions of both parishes at the event. We are hoping people come out, and that there is good weather. It is a parish event, but the community is invited too.”