A band performs during a previous Sacred Heart Festival.
Courtesy photo | Katie Di Lullo
SHELBY — Sacred Heart School will hold its 130th annual festival on Sunday, July 23.
The event will be held on the parish grounds at 5742 State Route 61 S., Shelby. The family-oriented fun starts at 11 a.m. and continues until 10 p.m.
The annual festival is the primary fundraiser supporting Sacred Heart School, a preschool through eighth grade facility open to all denominations. Sacred Heart School was founded in 1837 and is the oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic school in the Toledo Diocese.
On the day of the festivities, attendees can expect grilled food and concessions, outdoor games, wagon rides, other animal attractions, a farmers market booth, raffles and much more. Live music will also play throughout the festival. The Sacred Heart Festival will provide shady seating, free parking, and an air-conditioned dining hall.
As for the food that will be offered, festivalgoers can grab chicken and ham dinners, complete with homemade dressings with sides of mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, rolls and butter, pickled eggs, beets, and the choice of applesauce or coleslaw. Beverage choices include tea, coffee and lemonade. Throughout the rest of the festival, grilled concessions will be available.
Once mealtime is over, families can attend the “kids’ tent,” which closes at 6 p.m. Wagon rides and animal attractions are directed towards younger audiences, while putt-putt games are a great challenge for older kids. Garden produce and home-baked treats can be found in the farmers market booth.
Another popular attraction is the antique farm machinery on display, or adults may choose to sit a while and play instant bingo or other games of chance.
The MEGA raffle includes various prizes, including a hot air balloon ride, $500 off Sacred Heart tuition, freezer meat, original painting, a gas grill, a Norwex mop system, a family fun pack to a local corn maze and farm, a basket of Sacred Heart-themed items, a bicycle, Apple AirPods and more. There are also hourly drawings, 50/50 drawings, and a reverse raffle with a $1,500 top winner.
Visit www.facebook.com/sacredheartbethlehemfestival for more information and updates.
Lauren Gulden is an intern at The Delaware Gazette, Morrow County Sentinel and Galion Inquirer.
