St. Mary’s Fall Festival on Friday, Saturday

The annual St. Mary’s Fall Festival on Friday and Saturday in Oak Ridge will feature a spaghetti dinner, auction, children’s activities, baking contest, food, and entertainment.

The 64th annual festival starts Friday, October 17, with the Knights of Columbus spaghetti dinner in the Parish Life Center. Those who can’t stay for dinner can try the new “take-out” option. Doors open at 5 p.m., and take out dinners can be picked up under the covered walkway at the entrance of the Parish Life Center. Dinner prices are $8 for adults, $4 for kids, and no more than $25 per family.

The live auction will start promptly at 7 p.m. Friday, so you won’t want to leave directly after dinner, a press release said. Some of the items up for auction this year are many furniture pieces, exercise equipment, and a variety of certificates to events and places in the area. There will also be children’s activities to keep the kids happy and entertained. Those will also begin at 7 p.m. and continue through 9 p.m. with a bounce house, crafts, and “Charlie Brown Pumpkin” and “Frozen” playing on the big screen, the release said.

There will also be a cake/pie/cupcake baking contest on Friday, and “then one can taste the scrumptiousness at the Bake Shoppe,” the release said. St. Lucy’s Silent Auction—which features arts, treasures, hand painted furniture, and theme baskets—will start accepting bids, and offer “buy it now” pricing on certain items.

On Saturday, October 18, the festivities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m. on parish grounds, the release said. Festival foods will include the American Grille, Hot Wings, Bar-B-Que Chicken, The German Bier Garten, New Orleans Cajun, and a Spanish Food Booth.

“You may want to try one for lunch and another for dinner,” the release said.

Armbands will be available for unlimited play on the inflatables again this year. A morning armband or an afternoon armband can be purchased for $20 each, or an all day armband will be offered for $30. A variety of inflatables, including a human gyro and a hamster ball, will be on the grounds provided by BackYard Boumcers.

The Bake Shoppe, face painting, and the dried and fresh flowers, including mums and pumpkins, and St. Lucy’s silent auction, will continue through Saturday. Live entertainment will be on the main stage throughout the day. The line up will include KCHS Dancers, Cheyenne Graff from Cookeville, The Mt.Leconte Jug Band, Max Souza, and The Holloway Sisters.

St. Joseph’s Food Pantry will be accepting your “Thanksgiving” food item donation, and you will receive a prize stamp that can be redeemed at the prize booth. St. Joseph’s Food Pantry is a ministry at St. Mary’s that supplies food to those in need in our community.

Another of St. Mary’s outreach ministries—The White Elephant—will be open for business on Friday from 3-5 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. New fall and winter clothing will be available as will Halloween and Christmas decorations. The Medic Blood Mobile will be onsite throughout the day and giving T-shirts and local restaurant gift certificates to donors.

For more information about this year’s festival, contact Lenna Aird at (865) 256-9130 or visit the website www.stmarysoakridge.org/Parish/fallfest.html or visit the church’s Facebook page.