LSU survives first-half Tulane scare
October 3, 2007Benson Morrison
October 5, 2007Looking for a Halloween alternative? Consider Grace Lutheran Church’s Fall Festival. The event is held Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Grace Lutheran’s church grounds.
Young and old alike will enjoy Christian music, games and a variety of German cuisine.
Church members first hosted the event eight years ago as a pre-Halloween alternative. It was a way to ensure their young ones had lot of goodies in a wholesome, family environment.
The get-together included a special meal of roast pork, sauerkraut, dark bread and German potato salad. It was topped off with some German polka music.
By 1999, Don and Davey Underwood approached Grace Lutheran parishioners with a proposal to make the annual gathering a full-blown festival open to the community.
“Don and Davey felt that the festival would draw people from all over the community,” said event co-chair Jerrie Fitzgerald. “They perceived a festival that would have food, music, a silent auction and games for the children without losing the traditional Christian atmosphere.”
The celebration was expanded to include craft booths, face painting, bingo, bouncers, pony and hayrides, an Imagine Nation Books fair for children, and live Christian music for the adults.
Since then, the fall festival continues to grow bigger and better each year, according to Fitzgerald.
And in true Christian spirit, Grace Lutheran donates all proceeds to four community charities every year. Each charity receives between $3,500 and $4,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans matches the funds collected at the event.
Since its inception, the festival has raised over $90,000 for the selected charities.
“Each year, the festival committee votes on which charities will be beneficiaries,” she said. “We always try to select charities that need our proceeds the most.”
Past festivals have aided the Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank, which is now in its fifth year, the Bunk House, the St. Vincent de Paul Tri-Parish Community Pharmacy and Project Learn.
Fitzgerald said the charities, in exchange, donate their time to ensure the success of the festival.
The raffle and silent auction continue to fund the free festival.
This year, Grace Lutheran is raffling off a Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS system, a Nintendo Wii and a boys and a girls bicycle. Tickets are $2 each.
This year’s silent auction will include over 100 items, ranging from jewelry, furniture and collectibles to appliances.
“The auction is great for Christmas shopping,” Fitzgerald said.
Another crowd-pleaser is the country store/rummage sale, which is held in the church’s fellowship hall. The wall-to-wall sale features treasures and trinkets donated from various residents and businesses throughout the Tri-parish area.
And at the bake sale, Fitzgerald said homemade goodies can be purchased for mere pennies on the dollar.
No south Louisiana festival would be complete without music, and toward that end the Grace Lutheran Fall Festival delivers. Cajun and Christian performers will include Wanda and Emmett Pillault from Mississippi, Karen Grant of Slidell, Houma’s Mike Cape Band, Big Fish from the Northshore, Houma First Baptist Church’s First Praise Band and His by Grace Band from Baton Rouge.
The food selection still has a German feel, with bratwurst and potato salad from the Lunch Basket. There’s also fried fish and jambalaya from Castalano’s Deli. There will also be pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, candy and soft drinks.
For more festival information, call Fitzgerald at (985) 879-1913.
