St. Dominic Parish ?Summer Festival? set for Sunday
In preparing for the annual St. Dominic?s ?Summer Festival,? more than two-dozen men and women will get together Friday (tomorrow) to make ready the more than 500 chicken dinners that will be sold. According to Sister Rita Epple, the cases of chicken are to be delivered to the church in Metz, and in assembly-line fashion, the volunteer parishioners will clean about 800 pounds of chicken for Sunday?s barbecue. More than 550 to 600 meals are served each year. Epple said an extra case of chicken was added in 2005, and that sold out as well, just later in the day. Cleaning the chicken is just part of the work that needs to be done before the one-day event on the grounds of the church.
THE MINI WORK crew will cut 100 pounds of cabbage and 10 pounds of onions. About 150 pounds of potatoes will be peeled and cut, eight stalks of celery will be cleaned and chopped, six pounds of carrots will be diced, 12 dozen eggs will be cooked, and 20 pounds of macaroni noodles will be boiled. And let?s not forget the beans. There will be 18 gallons of doctored-up baked beans served.
?Carolyn Haske and her crew will come in earlier in the week to make about 40 loaves of homemade bread and ladies of the parish will provide about 30 cakes and desserts,? said Epple. ?After the guests eat, they can enjoy the antique car and vehicle show, the silent auction, the 50/50 hourly drawings, door prizes and Chinese raffle.? The classic and vintage show will include cars, tractors, snowmobiles, and motorcycles. Not to mention the music of Northern Sounds, which will once again fill the air for church members and visitors to dance to or to just enjoy from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
?WE SHOULD have fantastic weather as well,? said Epple, looking ahead on Monday to temperatures in the 70s over the weekend. In her 13 years of being a part of the late June event, it has not rained once. ?The Lord likes St. Dominic,? said Epple. Hillary Kerr and Jackie Wilk also have been instrumental in coming up with some new kids? games for the carnival area. The event will run from noon to 5:30 p.m. The festival has been part of the community for about three decades.