In lieu of the traditional Harvest Dinner, this year the ladies of the PCW at St. Margaret Mary's have decided to host a Harvest Festival instead. The Harvest Dinner has been hosted by the gals for over 40 years and has been the main fundraiser for the group. The funds raised help to provide scholarships to high school seniors, as well as to purchase necessary items for the Church and to provide other donations around the community. This year's event will be a joint fundraising effort with the Church's Youth Group. As PCW has always strived to support the youth of the community, they are collaborating with the kids this fall to help them raise funds for their upcoming retreat, as well as to raise the usual funds for scholarships and the like. The Youth Group, with the help of Judy Yirsa, has been planning a pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain, and France since 2019. Due to Covid-related delays, they have been blessed with the opportunity to take more time to raise funds before their trip that is now scheduled for June of 2022.

However this event is so much more than a fundraiser, it is a chance for our community to come together again! To celebrate the completion of harvest or maybe commiserate about the grasshoppers and the drought! After the events that have unfolded in the last few months, it is a much-needed respite to share in good food, good friends, and good old-fashioned family fun!

On September 25, 2021, the morning will begin with kids' Carnival Games and a Bouncy House at10:00 am. There will be Cinnamon Rolls, Doughnuts, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and other treats available for purchase. Kiddos will have the opportunity to participate in games such as Pop Can Fishing, Balloon Darts, and Baseball Toss, each with small prizes. There will also be Face Painting and a Cake Walk.

Around 11:00 am a kid-friendly lunch will be served! Polish Dogs, Popcorn, Chips, Cotton Candy, Water, Pop, and Coffee/Hot Chocolate will be available for purchase.

After you've gotten your fill of food and the kids have played themselves out in the Bouncy House (or at least you're done watching them...it's there all day!), come inside the Church for Bingo at 1:00 pm. Games will continue until 3:00 pm with cash prizes awarded after each game (50% of pay-to-play fees).

The Beer Garden will open up at 3:00 pm with options including some specialty IPA's, Bud Light, wine, and even a bit of Golden Triangle Brewery's Honyocker brewed with honey straight from the Yirsa Farm! Have a taste of your favorite brew, then come on over and register for the Cornhole Tournament at 3:30 pm. There will only be 42 teams allowed to enter, so pre-register to reserve a spot for your team. The first-place prize will be 50% of the entry fees, minus $50. The second-place prize will get their entry fee back. IF all 42 teams register, the winning team will go home with $1000, so invite your friends and get yourselves registered!

The Dinner menu consists of Polish Sausage made specially by Jim Dumas, Sauerkraut, French Fries, Corn on the Cob, Nachos, Fry Bread, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Pop, Water, Coffee, and Hot Chocolate. Veterans of the Harvest Dinner, don't fret, we'll have Pie available by the slice too!

As the tournament wraps up, we'll be welcoming the Wortman Sisters to the stage for a street dance at 7:00 pm. These hometown girls are from right here in Big Sandy and have been playing together for quite a while. You might remember seeing them perform at the Rotary dinner, the Annual Montana Cowboy Poetry and Western Music Rendezvous, or at the Judith Mountain Lodge in Lewistown. There will also be a 50/50 Raffle, as well as some fun auctions of Fall Decor and more! Food will be served until it is all gone and the Beer Garden will stay open until the music stops at 10:00 pm.

There will be a little something for everyone, so grab your family & friends and come out to celebrate together. It is community support that allows these adventures for our youth and fellowship that keeps our community strong. Join the Facebook Group Harvest Fest 2021-Big Sandy to stay up to date on all the happenings and learn about ways to win free food during the festival. We look forward to seeing you there!