Blessed Sacrament's Family Festival is next week

The Church of the Blessed Sacrament will hold its annual Family Festival of games, rides, live entertainment, raffles and food from July 30 to Aug. 2.

Activities will begin on Thursday, July 30 at 6 p.m. and clos at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2. Mayor Ed Fare will kick off the festival on Thursday night with a ceremony at 6:30 p.m.

Discounted ride tickets are available at the parish office on North Central Avenue until July 28. Residents can also pick up raffle tickets for prizes like televisions, tickets to Broadway shows, and gift certificates to local restaurants and businesses.

The festival, which typically draws hundreds of attendees, is in its fifth year. Annette Farragher, who helps run the event each year, said its planning and preparation is a year-round affair, and pulling off a successful festival requires hard work from some good Samaritans.

“We have a lot of volunteers in the parish that come out to help with the festival, and we couldn’t do it without them,” she said. “After five years, its supposed to get easier, and it has. People come out and they know what to do.”