By Kathryne Rakowski
Fall is almost here and that means that Sacred Heart Church in Cicero is gearing up for their yearly Apple Festival, open to the whole community.
The festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 to 2 p.m. and will be held at the church located at 8229 Brewerton Road.
There will be something for everyone in the whole family to enjoy including delicious food, entertainment, craft vendors, and your chance to win one of over 30 raffle baskets, each containing $100 worth of items you’ll want to take home.
Admission into the event is free.
It will be a fun way to celebrate the beginning of fall, but it’s also a great way to build community, shared Donna Barrett, coordinator of the festival.
“My favorite aspect of the event is the camaraderie from our Sacred Heart parishioners and the folks in the community,” she said. “It’s nice to see parishioners and other members of the community come together to celebrate fall in central New York.”
There will be several free outside events for children, including pony rides, games and an inflatable bounce house.
Also outside will be The Mega Bubble Man, an interactive event using wands and pools of bubbles to create bubbles.
Three shows will take place at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The Cicero Police and Fire Department will also be outside to interact with children and families.
Inside in the church hall, there will be two magician shows at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
There will also be live music and a variety of food to purchase including their popular apple fritters, donuts, sausage sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers.
Chick-fil-A will also be present offering their chicken.
Inside is also where you’ll be able to browse the wide range of vendors at their craft fair and buy tickets for the raffles up for grabs.
Cash and credit cards will be accepted for both food and raffle tickets. Raffle ticket prices are $5 for 5 tickets, $10 for 10 tickets, and $20 for 25 tickets.
The proceeds raised from the festival will benefit Youth and Family Ministries at the parish.
This includes Faith Formation, Sacramental Ministries, and the Youth Ministry Program among other things. Jennifer Brown, Director of Youth Ministry and Confirmation, shared what a vital ministry this is to support.
“Supporting the youth and families of our parish keeps the church alive,” Barrett said. “When we take the time to educate everyone about what really matters in life and put Christ at the center, we find out there so much more to live for. The youth and families of our Church are how we will continue to strengthen the church.”
For more information on the event, visit the church’s website at sacredheartofcicero.com/.