Parishioners prepare for annual festival

EAST COUNTY — The Our Lady of the Angels’ church festival means something more to event organizers than carnival rides and elephant ears.

It means opportunity.

As church organizers prepare for the three-day event, they hope to create an annual festival that becomes a tradition for East County residents and their children, said Pat Martino, Our Lady of the Angels business manager.

Our Lady of the Angels will host its second church festival from 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 14; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 15; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 16, at Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.
Church members welcomed 1,500 people during the three-day event in 2013; this year, they hope to attract even more.

Through the incorporation of new marketing strategies — advertising earlier and marketing to families living outside of Lakewood Ranch, for example — Martino and her team believe they can attract more people to the event. The marketing changes have resulted in the presence of more vendors at this year’s festival, as well.

“Considering last year was our first year, at a fairly new venue, we did well,” Martino said. “You always learn from doing something from ground level the first time.”

Martino said while this year’s festival will be similar to the church’s inaugural event and will offer the same games and midway rides, guests will have a larger variety of food options from which to choose.

The Rev. Daniel Smith created the festival to raise money to benefit the Catholic Faith Appeal fundraising effort, which enables parishioners to take mission trips and participate in outreach programs expanding beyond their communities.

“We are looking forward to a very successful event this year, with the hope of having it grow each and every year hereafter,” Martino said. “It can only go up from here.”

For more information on the event, call 752-6770 or visit OLAngelsCC.org.

IF YOU GO
Our Lady of the Angels Church Festival
When: 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 14; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 15; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 16.

Where: Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch

Cost: Free admission and parking, ticket prices for rides vary

Parking: Parking available at Premier Sports Campus, 5895 Post Blvd., Lakewood Ranch

Info: Call 752-6770 or visit OLAngelsCC.org 

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].