Olympic spirit at Epiphany of Our Lord festival

Attendees are urged to wear red, white & blue to honor Team USA.

Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in Monessen will celebrate Team USA at this year’s festival, which will be taking place at the same time as the Olympics in Paris.

Last year they had a 1950s throwback theme, but this time the focus is on the red, white and blue.

“Come to enjoy some very good food and listen to good music and just have a good time and relax,” said festival committee chair Robert Sassak.

The festival schedule is 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

The festival has been taking place since the early 1990s after five local Catholic churches merged to form the Epiphany of Our Lord Parish in 1991.

It is one of Epiphany’s major fundraisers of the year, and the money goes toward basic needs of the church and its building.

“Helps paying bills throughout the year and different repairs and stuff that the church needs like any other building,” Sassak said.

There will be a wide variety of ethnic food during the festival. From halushki to empanadas, they will have something for everyone.

Friday will feature an $8 sandwich with the options of hot and sweet sausage, pulled pork, pulled chicken, or meatballs.

On Saturday, there will be two platters to offer with a combination of different foods, both at $12. The Italian platter includes three cheese shells, two meatballs and vegetables. The Eastern Europe platter will include halupki, haluski, three pierogies and vegetables.

There will also be basket auctions and multiple games for kids.

“It’s usually a good time, it helps bring everybody in the church together, brings the community together, everyone comes up and enjoys good food and listen to good music,” Sassak said.

Expect to see red, white and blue and American flags all over the festival in celebration of Team USA in the Olympics. Sassak said the idea came to them when they started planning the festival last year.

He also said to expect to see a performance of the Pierogie Ladies in their costumes. They will do a reenactment of the lighting of the Olympic torch at the beginning of the festival.

This the full festival schedule: Friday

• Street Level Band, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Fireworks, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday

• Kosmix polka band, 3 to 5 p.m.

• Balloon artist, 4 to 6 p.m.

• American Pie Oldies band, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Outdoor Mass, 10 p.m.