One sign that summer is near comes with publication of the annual parish festivals listing.
Beginning in June, a parish festival or celebration will take place in the diocese on a multitude of weekends through Labor Day and into the fall.
The festival season kicks off on Sunday, June 4 at Johnstown Church of the Ascension with a Mass at 11 a.m., followed by live music, raffles and activities for young and old.
The last festival on the list is the Columbus Our Lady of Peace Church fall festival and chili cook-off on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13-14.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the parish festival at Dover St. Joseph Church in Tuscarawas County, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 14-15. Other long-running festivals include those at Columbus St. Timothy, Columbus St. Margaret of Cortona, Columbus Immaculate Conception, Portsmouth St. Mary of the Annunciation and Worthington St. Michael churches.
Delaware St. Mary Church resumes its festival this year on the weekend of June 16-17. Among the parishes forgoing annual festivals in 2023 are Columbus St. Christopher and Powell St. Joan of Arc churches.
Additionally, Circleville St. Joseph Church will operate a slushy booth at the annual Circle Pumpkin Show from Wednesday, Oct. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 21.
Attending a festival is a great way to show support for churches, schools and groups in their efforts to raise funds for their worthy endeavors.
Keep the festival list as a reference throughout the spring, summer and fall. It’s a good idea to check with the parish for any changes in schedules or postponements because of inclement weather.
The following is a list of parish festivals reported to The Catholic Times as of May 9.
JUNE
June 4
Church of the Ascension
555 S. Main St., Johnstown
11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Sunday
June 8-10
St. Catharine of Siena
500 S. Gould Rd., Columbus
5-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
June 16-17
St. Mary Church
82 E. William St., Delaware
5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
June 16-17
St. John Neumann
9633 E. State Route 37, Sunbury
6-11 p.m. Friday, 5-11 p.m. Saturday
JULY
July 14-15
St. Timothy
1088 Thomas Lane, Columbus
6 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday
July 14-15
St. Joseph
613 N. Tuscarawas Ave., Dover
5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
July 14-15
St. Matthew the Apostle
807 Havens Corners Rd., Gahanna
6-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
July 15
St. Luke
307 S. Market St., Danville
5-10 p.m. Saturday
July 21-22
Immaculate Conception
100 Sherman St., Dennison
6-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
July 28-29
Immaculate Conception
414 E. North Broadway, Columbus
6p.m.-11p.m. Friday, 6-11 p.m. Saturday
July 28-29
St. Margaret of Cortona
1600 N. Hague Ave., Columbus
6 p.m.-midnight Friday, 5 p.m.-midnight Saturday
AUGUST
Aug. 4-5
St. Stephen the Martyr
4131 Clime Rd., Columbus
6 p.m.-midnight Friday, 5 p.m.-midnight Saturday
Aug. 4-5
Our Lady of Victory
1559 Roxbury Road, Columbus
6-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Aug. 4-5
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
3730 Broadway, Grove City
5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Aug. 10-12
Holy Spirit
4383 E. Broad St., Columbus
6-11 p.m. Thursday, 6 p.m.-midnight Friday, 5 p.m.-midnight Saturday
Aug. 11-12
St. Brendan
4475 Dublin Rd., Hilliard
6-11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (family fun hours 3-6 p.m. Saturday)
Aug. 11-12
St. Cecilia
434 Norton Rd., Columbus
5 p.m.-midnight Friday, 4 p.m.-midnight Saturday
Aug. 11-13
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
600 Hill Road N., Pickerington
5p.m.-11p.m. Friday, 2p.m.-11p.m. Saturday, noon-4p.m. Sunday
Aug. 13
Immaculate Conception
215 E. North St., Kenton
Noon-7p.m. Sunday
Aug. 18-19
St. Andrew
1899 McCoy Road, Columbus
5p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday
Aug. 19-20
St. Elizabeth
6077 Sharon Woods Blvd., Columbus
5p.m.-11p.m. Saturday, noon-5p.m. Sunday
Aug. 26
Blessed Sacrament
Newark Maennerchor, 195 Orchard St.
5-11 p.m. Saturday
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1-3
St. Michael
5750 N. High St., Worthington
7-11 p.m. Friday, 5-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Sept. 16-17
St. Mary of the Annunciation
524 6th St., Portsmouth
8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday (tentative)
Sept. 23
St. John Neumann
9633 E. State Route 37, Sunbury
5-9 p.m. Saturday (Oktoberfest)
OCTOBER
Oct. 6-8
St. John the Baptist
Hamlet and Lincoln Sts., Columbus
Italian Festival
5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday
Oct. 13-14
Our Lady of Peace
20 E. Dominion Blvd. Columbus
6-11 p.m. Friday, 5:30-11 p.m. Saturday