Festival Fun

Red Church Food & Fun Fest started out as small-time event

In 1980, a small group of people at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church decided to put on a modest fair to bring the community together and raise funds for parish projects. Thirty-one years later, the Little Red Church Food and Fun Festival is one of the largest events in St. Charles Parish with about 4,000 people in attendance each year.

During that first year, the fair didn’t have throngs of people like it does now.

“The goal of the first fair was to earn extra money but pastor Fr. (Alvin) O’Reilly was against fundraising and he said that if we focused on community building and parish fellowship that he could go for it,” said Ann Montgomery, who helped organize the first festival. “We started this thing from absolutely nothing.”

While they started with nothing, Montgomery said the event raised about $25,000.

“(Fr. O’Reilly) was so appreciative and admiring when the whole weekend was over,” Montgomery said.

Ronald Rodrigue, administrative assistant at St. Charles Borromeo, said that the entire festival has grown into a great fellowship and community event.

“From setting up the scaffolding to holding the fair, we always say that (community building) is the No. 1 reason we have the festival,” Rodrigue said.

Rodrigue said that all of the hard work is worth it to the church family.

“The profit goes to the more than 40 ministries we try to provide in the parish, whether it’s to the local poor, schools or anything else,” he said.

Despite rising costs of the festival, the event has stayed free throughout its history.

“You don’t have to spend any money. You can just listen to bands if you want,” Rodrigue said.

And this year will have even more opportunities than usual for free entertainment.

In the past, the event has only hosted two musical guests, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. But this year, Rodrigue said that five guests have been invited and will perform throughout the weekend.

Black Magnolia and Bon Journeys bands will perform Saturday and No Idea, The Rowdy Boys and Boogie Men bands will perform Sunday. There will also be a DJ on Friday.

Rodrigue said that the most exciting addition to this year’s festival is a drumline showcase featuring drumlines from St. Charles Borromeo and four other area schools.

“They’re not going to be competing, they’re just going to be showing off their talents,” he said. “From what I hear (at St. Charles Borromeo) it’s awesome. I can’t wait to hear what the other schools are going to do.”

The Lowry Brothers will be back this year providing as many amusement rides as they can fit behind the church. Visitors will be able to buy tickets for individual rides or wristbands good for all of the rides.

This year’s festival will be on April 29 from 6-10 p.m., April 30 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and May 1 from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. behind St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church on River Road in Destrehan.