MONROE, Conn. — Children enjoyed the ferris wheel and other rides, and snacked on waffle sundaes, candy apples, popcorn and cotton candy on the second night of St. Jude Church’s annual Italian Festival Thursday. That evening, families continued to line up at the food tent for sausage grinders, cheeseburgers, pizza, cavatelli and broccoli and perhaps the most popular menu item, sausage and peppers among the many options.
“Jennie’s provides all the Italian food,” Nanette Seperack, an organizer of the festival, said of Jennie’s Pizzeria in Monroe. “What people really like about this is everything is under one tent, so they can order everything there.”
The fried dough used to be made under the main tent, but now Vinci Concession’s has a food truck. “It’s authentic Italian pizza fritte,” Nanette said.
Among the entertainment, JMG provides the music and a bubble machine for the children and game booths are on the church grounds near the rides, which are made possible by Stewart Amusements. Another booth has a 50/50 raffle, there is a religious gift shop and festival goers can visit St. Jude’s Shrine.
Now in its 35th year, the St. Jude Italian Festival has two more nights this summer, Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Opening night was Wednesday.
“It was good. The weather was perfect,” said the Rev. Joseph Gill, pastor of St. Jude. “For a Wednesday night, it was a great turnout. The lines for the rides were short and we had a lot of good feedback on the food.”
Gill said prices for the food are reasonable, and there are generous portions, and a bracelet for unlimited rides is another good deal at $35. The festival is the church’s main fundraiser and it is an event Gill said he looks forward to every year.
The Rev. Joseph Gill, pastor of St. Jude Church, left, with Nanette and Paul Seperack, volunteers of the St. Jude Italian Festival. Paul serves as event chair.
“It’s nice to see the smiles on everyone’s faces,” Gill said. “It’s a great way to reach out to the broader community.”
Nanette Seperack and her husband, Paul, have volunteered for the Italian Festival since 1997, and Paul has served as chairperson since 2018. It takes around 50 volunteers to run the festival each day, Paul said.
“It’s a lot of work, but we enjoy it,” Nanette said. “It’s not just for the parish, it’s for the community and the surrounding towns.”
“It’s a family oriented event,” Paul said. “People who came here when they were children now come with their own children.”
Nanette said the festival is a great end to summer vacation before kids go back to school, which starts this Monday.
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