Thursday, October 1, 2026
Thousands of visitors who attended St. Christopher Parish's 51st annual feast over four nights enjoyed carnival rides, live music, homemade food and the chance to reconnect with neighbors on the church grounds. What many didn't see were the 250 volunteers whose months of preparation helped turn one of Baldwin's longest-running traditions into another successful summer celebration.
From planning that begins each January to assembling booths, preparing homemade meals and organizing games, raffles and entertainment, volunteers spent months transforming the parish grounds into a gathering place for the Baldwin community.
For Fr. Johnny Mendonca, the feast's greatest success wasn't measured by attendance or fundraising but by the sense of community it fostered. Now in its 51st year, the annual tradition draws parishioners and non-parishioners alike, bringing together families, friends and neighbors to celebrate faith, fellowship and Baldwin.
"That's the blessing of this feast," Mendonca said. "People were just helping with a joyful mood ... making community together."
That work begins months before the first visitor arrives. Planning for the annual feast starts each January, when committee members set the dates, reconnect with returning booth captains and volunteers, and map out everything from food stations and games to rides and entertainment. By the time the celebration opens in July, hundreds of volunteers have spent months organizing what has become one of Baldwin’s largest annual community gatherings.
Gail Milne, who chaired this year’s feast after volunteering for 38 years, said the preparation quickly becomes an all-hands effort, with parishioners assembling booths, organizing donations, setting up equipment and preparing food in the weeks leading up to opening night.
About a month before the feast begins, volunteers start assembling booths across the parish grounds while tents, the band shell and other attractions are installed. Grills, fryers, tables, chairs, coolers and countless other pieces of equipment are hauled from storage, transforming an empty field into the bustling midway visitors recognize each summer.
The work continues in the parish kitchen, where volunteers slice onions and peppers, prepare sauces and cook many of the dishes that have become staples of the feast. Unlike many festivals that rely on outside food vendors, nearly every meal served at St. Christopher's is prepared by parishioners, from homemade pasta with marinara, meatballs and eggplant to kielbasa and pierogi, empanadas, pupusas and zeppole.
The spirit of volunteerism extended to the entertainment as well. Milne said former feast chairperson Michael Cecere coordinated this year's lineup, which featured local performers who donated their time and talent. Throughout the four-day celebration, visitors enjoyed performances by Pats Dance Studio, Musically Inclined, School of Rock, Jailhouse Fingers and Midnight Bourbon featuring Carmine Puglisi, reinforcing the feast's focus on showcasing the Baldwin community.
Despite the long hours, Milne said the effort is worth it each year.
“I love my Parish of St. Christopher and look forward to the Feast each year just to see so many gather together having fun, chatting, laughing and reminiscing about prior feasts,” she said.
For many volunteers, the feast is more than a four-day event — it’s a tradition that spans generations.
Families have returned to the feast year after year, with some parishioners volunteering for decades. Mendonca said a handful of volunteers have been involved since the feast began 51 years ago, while many others have dedicated 25, 35 or even 40 years to the annual tradition. Families, he said, take pride in preparing homemade foods and passing that commitment from one generation to the next.
One of those longtime volunteers is John Wenk, who has worked at the feast since 1986. Milne said Wenk has filled countless roles over nearly four decades of service and is beloved throughout the parish for his dedication.
While longtime volunteers remain the backbone of the event, Milne said this year's feast also welcomed many new faces. Seeing younger parishioners step forward to help, she said, offers hope that the tradition will continue for years to come.
“It is heartwarming to watch our parish grow in faith and service to one another,” Milne said.
For Mendonca, the feast's impact extends beyond the parish. Residents from across Baldwin, along with friends and families from neighboring communities, return each summer to share a meal, listen to music and spend time together.
"For Baldwin, it means gathering," Mendonca said. "It means being with friends, being with the community of Baldwin."
This year's theme, "One Nation Under God," recognized the nation's 250th anniversary and reflected the parish's emphasis on faith, service and unity.
The feast also serves as one of St. Christopher's largest annual fundraisers. Mendonca said proceeds support parish outreach as well as ongoing improvement projects, including parking lot renovations, church entrance repairs, terrazzo restoration and the construction of two new side altars.
While hundreds of volunteers spend the weekend running booths, preparing food and greeting guests, Mendonca's job is a little different.
"My role is to walk around, meet people, talk to them, sit with them, chat with them, eat with them, laugh with them," he said.
After 51 years, the St. Christopher Parish Feast remains a celebration built not only on rides, music and homemade meals, but on generations of volunteers whose shared commitment continues to bring the Baldwin community together.
