What might accompany selling 2,400 pumpkins on the lawn of Our Lady of Peace School in south Minneapolis? How about a petting zoo, scavenger hunt, food trucks and a beer garden Oct. 13 at an event dubbed “Party at the Patch.”
The pumpkin patch is open every day from 11 a.m. till nightfall through Oct. 31. Founded three years ago, the event continues to grow, encompassing the school, parish and broader community. Proceeds go to religious education at the school and parish, including sacramental preparation.
David Marrese
“We started with 800 pumpkins and we’ve sold out every year,” David Marrese, the school’s director of advancement, told “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley in an episode debuting at 9 p.m. Oct. 22 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM. The show also airs at 9 p.m. Oct. 23 and 2 p.m. Oct. 24.
Kelli Abar, president of the school advisory council, said creative parents came up with the idea, which has become a fun, fall gathering spot for people in the neighborhood and elsewhere.
“We’re just proud we can build this fun environment right in the city,” Abar said.
“The community has really come out in droves for it,” Marrese said, adding that even last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at a particular peak, the pumpkin patch continued as scheduled. It was a safe place for people to be together outdoors, compared with the many indoor activities that were curtailed or postponed.
“We got to see a lot of people we hadn’t seen in a long time,” he said.
Kelli Abar
There are no admission fees. There is no need to dress up. People can enjoy the glories of fall, Abar said. It’s also family friendly, Marrese said. There is no haunted house, no gory decorations.
“We are so excited to add this tradition for the kids,” Abar said. “It’s going to be a blast.”
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews about a podcast that honors saints and saints-in-the-making, and a pilgrimage walk for racial reconciliation planned Nov. 6 in Minneapolis from Ascension to the Basilica of St. Mary.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at:
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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