Church Festival

My small country parish has a summer festival ALMOST every year on the second Sunday in July. We skipped the festival for the first time in decades in 2020, due to the pandemic. In 2021, since we were having a surge in cases in our county, the festival was changed to a drive-thru chicken bbq with opportunities to purchase raffle tickets through your car window as you circled the building. 

This year the decision was made to hold the festival complete with children's games, a softball tournament, raffles, bingo, games of chance (including a "hog drop"), concession stands, and more on a few acres surrounding our church. We serve ham and chicken dinners complete with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with bacon, roll and butter, and a slice of homemade pie. If you eat in our air conditioned dining hall, we serve coffee, iced water and lemonade. You can get carry out to take your dinner home or to eat in our open air rebuilt barn from the 1800's which is roped off as a "beer tent" that overlooks the softball field. 

I got busy baking pies. I ended up with 6 apple, 5 cherry and 6 pumpkin. 

Our county is low in vaccination rate and common sense. This made my husband very concerned and me somewhat concerned.  My husband was the head of the "dishwashing" committee and usually works 7-8 hours in the kitchen. He resigned.  I am in charge of dinner ticket sales. I contacted my shift workers and my first two shifts had no problem working. My third shift had a grandchild who ended up being born yesterday so that left two shifts for me to cover by myself.

Next cupcakes for the cakewalks. 

I decided to go forward with my masks and hand sanitizers and worked on comebacks when being told how silly I was being, sitting in a hallway crammed full of people who lean into tell me how many dinner tickets they require. 

Pardon the lighting at 11:45 p.m.  Next year, bake cupcakes first so that they can cool. Then frost while pies are baking. 

I dropped off my baking early in the morning. I returned about an hour before my first shift so I could peruse the silent auction.  And learned the meals had sold out 4 1/2 hours early.  I did help wash the rest of the roasters and mop countertops in the kitchen.  But I did not have to engage with the public at all. All my worrying for nothing. 

Financially I am not sure how the festival did. Many people arrived for dinner and, when they found we were out, just left. We did have several food stands, but it wasn't what they were looking for.  And that meant they weren't spending money at games either.  I guess time will tell.