Good Samaritan Ramps Up for Annual Parish Festival

When Good Samaritan kicks off its 16th annual Parish Festival Thursday, church organizers say the event should be reminiscent of years past: lots of live music, ethnic foods and plenty of games and activities for adults and children.

“Everything is going well as planned,” said Brother Ambrose, director of music and liturgy at Good Samaritan and the person in charge of fundraising.

On the days leading up to the festival, Ambrose said church volunteers were busy setting up and making last minute preparations.

The annual community festival begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Eighth and Melrose streets in Ambridge. The four-day festivities continue through Sunday.

The annual ethnic festival is one of Good Samaritan’s biggest fundraisers in addition to the Lenten fish fries and the -- homemade Polish doughnuts that church volunteers make from scratch for Fat Tuesday.

One of the biggest draws to the annual festival is the mouth-watering homemade pierogies, a yummy pocket of dough stuffed with potato and cheese or sauerkraut and topped with a nice helping of butter and onions.

Ambrose said the pierogies are “award-winning” and quite popular.

Other festival highlights include a silent auction, raffles, a bake sale, bingo on Glenwood Avenue and Polka Mass on Saturday with Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David Zubik as celebrant.

If you go:

Festival hours:

6 to 10 p.m. Thursday

6 to 11 p.m. Friday

noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, with booths open at 2 p.m.

1 to 10 p.m. Sunday

Entertainment

Thursday

• The ELDORADO Band, 6 to 10 p.m.

Friday

•  Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push, 7 to 11 p.m.

Saturday

• Dick Tady Orchestra, noon to 5 p.m.

• Polka Mass, Bishop David Zubik, celebrant

• Dick Tady Orchestra, 5:30 p.m.

• Chuck Blasko and the Vogues, 8 to 9 p.m. and 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday

• The Cavaliers, 1 to 5 p.m.

• Ambridge Steel Drum Band, 6 to 7 p.m.

• Johnny Angel and the Halos, 7 to 8 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

• Silent Auction Announced in Cafeteria, 9 p.m.