Parish Festival Vision

Festival Purpose & Focus

  1. Festival Goal:
    • Provide a fun event to promote and support St Patrick – St Anthony Food Pantry, Haiti and Migrant outreach ministries.
  2. Hospitality/Evangelization:
    • Develop a plan of hospitality and information around St Patrick – St Anthony “Outreach”
    • Integrate “who we are” and “what we do” into the festival experience
    • Create a hospitality plan that ensures guests feel valued, appreciated, and comfortable
  3. Food, Fun Activities and background music entertainment

Event Duration & Coordination

  1. Festival Duration:
    • A one-day event
    • Schedule all festival events in a way that does not conflict with time of parish liturgy
      • Saturday, August 16, 2025 morning and afternoon to end at 3:00pm a parish dinner could be served after 5:00pm Mass
      • Or: Festivities and lunch to start Sunday, August 17, 2025 at 12:00 noon after 11:00pm Mass

Planning & Leadership

  1. Strong Planning Process:
    • Establish strong leaders with clear roles early in the process
    • Engage volunteers from Food Pantry, Haiti Ministry and Migrant Ministry
    • Create a plan timeline to avoid last-minute changes

Facilities & Logistics

  1. Optimize Flow & Movement:
    • Plan and design festival layout to allow easy movement between areas
    • Provide comfortable spaces for gathering and rest
    • Arrange attractions in ways that are easiest to navigate, attract participants, and provide easy access
  2. Improve Signage:
    • Develop clear, consistent signage for tickets, activities, food, and directions
  3. Enhance Welcoming Experience:
    • Ensure a clear entry point with visible signs of welcome
  4. Plan Parking:
    • Create clear plans for general and handicap parking to minimize confusion

Volunteer Coordination

  1. Identify Volunteer needs:
    • Appoint a volunteer coordinator who would coordinate with other teams to identify how many volunteers are needed and what they will do
  2. Develop Volunteer Instructions:
    • Provide all volunteers with clear instructions and expectations
    • Create a volunteer check-in process that includes an instructional packet

Entertainment

  1. Music
    • Find local music talent for entertainment
    • Focus on music enhancing the festival experience, not dominating it
  2. Games
    • Coordinate games and activities in an area with high visibility and easy access

Food & Concessions

  1. Tickets:
    • Review ticketing for food and drinks for ease of purchase.
  2. Offerings:
    • Coordinate preparation and sale of food and beverages
    • Possibly incorporate food truck options for variety
    • Provide options with smaller portions that are affordable for families with children at dinner
  3. Timing:
    • Consider the best timing for meals to embrace festival vision and goals
    • Time dinner in a way that avoids long lines and delays

Raffles & Fundraising

  1. Main Raffle:
    • Ensure that the main raffle list is up-to-date and includes parishioner addresses for mailings
    • Pre-package weekend raffle tickets for easy distribution during the event
  2. Mini Raffle:
    • Explore ways to expand the Mini Raffle
      • e.g. Display mini raffle gifts ahead of time
      • e.g. Allow mini raffle tickets to be purchased ahead of time
    • Strengthen parishioner engagement
      • e.g. collect mini raffle gifts/donations from parishioners early on
    • Announce winners after all names have been drawn

Marketing

  1. Intentional Marketing Plan
    • Appoint a marketing lead with marketing expertise to drive the process
  2. Develop Marketing Strategy:
    • Communicate a well-planned marketing timeline
    • Determine effective and simplified means of communicating with parish & community
      • i.e. social media, local radio, newspapers, area church bulletins, diocesan lists