St. Pat's Fall Festival Sunday

McCOOK, Neb. -- A hand-made picnic table and airplane ride. Smoked brisket and cotton candy. Stuffed animals and Plinko. All this -- and more -- is available in one place at the annual Fall Festival at St. Patrick Church in McCook on Sunday.

In its 42nd year, the St. Patrick Fall Festival brings out the young and old to the streets around St. Pat's on East Fourth and F Streets. Events also take place in the school gym and across the church campus.

The school gym is taken over for silent and live auctions as well as bingo and raffles. The streets will be full of games, a mini-train ride and more bingo - this time involving chickens.

The day kicks off at noon with a roast beef and mashed potatoes dinner in the church basement. Outside, more food is available all afternoon including hamburgers and hot dogs, smoked brisket and nachos, as well as cotton candy and funnel cakes.

The games outside and the silent auction inside all run from noon to 4 p.m. The games include a human foosball game, a water slide, a cake walk, Plinko and a blow-up obstacle course.

The silent auction features table after table full of collectibles, gift items and more than a dozen themed baskets created by the St. Pat's elementary classes and youth groups. The baskets feature "road trip," "chocolate" and the most popular in the school right now -- "emoji."

Live auction begins at 2:30 p.m. in the school gym and includes everything from gift certificates for items such as a YMCA yearly membership to an airplane ride; a Corgi puppy; and a hand-made picnic table and blanket rack. And there is the always popular meals with the priests...sometimes they cook, sometimes you just get to enjoy their company at a restaurant.

‏Two separate raffles also will be held. The first is for a hand-made quilt from Eva Hoffman. Another raffle is available for a multi-prize drawing with a top prize of a trip to Lincoln for a Husker game, which includes a motel room and gas money. Another half-dozen gift certificates from local businesses are also available as part of the raffle

The St. Pat Fall Festival is an annual fund-raiser for St. Patrick School, but also is a fun-filled, family-friendly event, according to Fr. Gary Brethour. "We invite everyone in the neighborhood and throughout the community to spend the afternoon with their family, having fun and eating good food," he said.

‏For more information about the St. Pat Fall Festival as well as pictures of many of the auction items and raffle prizes, visit the "St. Patrick's Fall Festival McCook" Facebook page.