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More signs of Summer in Michigan City!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queen-of-All...107684955981760

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http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...89828760740.txt

Queen of All Saints festival attracts thousands of visitors

By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer
Published: Monday, June 13, 2011 5:08 PM CDT
Riders of the Cliff Hanger lay on their stomachs inside a cage-like apparatus as they flew through the air in a circle. Some screamed, but the screaming was louder at the Tilt-a-Whirl.

In another section of the fun and games, some toddlers rode in a tame "Big Mac" truck while others walked through a Glass House giggling at the silly images of themselves in funny mirrors.

Yes, Sunday was the last day of thrills at the annual Queen of All Saints Summer Festival, where carnival rides and games of skill, along with food from Gelsosomo's Pizzeria and funnel cakes, elephant ears, hot dogs, pizza, soft drinks and more delighted the crowd.

For older members of the crowd, a beer tent offered some cold ones.

The festival opened Wednesday, said festival chair Kim Gondeck.

"The weather always affects attendance," she said. Wednesday and Thursday were warm and sunny, but Friday brought some rain and Saturday delivered fog and mist. On Sunday, the sun was back and the festival grounds were crowded with adults and children.

Gondeck's preliminary estimate for attendance by Sunday afternoon was 18,000. She couldn't yet say how much money the festival earned.

"Every year, we say we want to make $100,000," she added, "but we never do. I would say it's a good year when we make $75,000."

The money supports the Queen of All Saints parish, the school and the greater Michigan City community, she noted.

All of the food at the festival is served by the parish except one elephant ear stand operated by the Skerbeck Brothers Carnival ("We have elephant ears too," Gondeck said) and a pizza concessionaire, Gelsosomo's Pizzeria, which operates a pizza restaurant in Michigan City.

At any given time, some 75 to 100 parish volunteers are working at the festival. Many parishioners work several three-hour shifts, she said.

Gondeck's own daughter Maggie, who graduated with distinction from Michigan City High School Sunday afternoon, with her family, including her festival chair mom in attendance, came to work at the festival as a funnel cake fryer.

A Boy Scout troop pitched in as did the Michigan City Junior Marine ROTC group, the National Junior Honor Society from Queen of All Saints School and other families and individual volunteers.

J. Van Smith, Michigan City, took several shots at trying to win a giant stuffed animal for his daughter at a basketball-like hoop game. The Smiths are from Michigan City, but not members of Queens. "But we always have a good time at the festival, he said.

Marvin and Pat Guenther are members of St. Ann of the Dunes parish, but enjoyed watching their granddaughter and grandson giggle through the Glass House at the festival.

While the festival certainly is designed to be a fund raiser, Gondeck said, "We do see a lot of families having fun at the festival."