Fenwick Festival:
When: 6 p.m. to midnight Friday; 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday; 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Fenwick High School, 4855 Ohio 122 in Middletown
Info: (513) 423-0723
The 60th anniversary of the Fenwick Festival could prove to be the biggest in the school’s history.
Advance presale tickets for the festival’s two raffles — one for a brand-new Honda Civic or $15,000, and the other for $5,000 in cash — are up 100 percent, said Mike Raiff, Fenwick’s director of finance and business operations.
“As of today, we’ve already brought in close to $12,000 just from presale orders,” he said.
“The development department sent out letters to alumni and those who are passionate about the Bishop Fenwick community, and the response has been terrific,” Raiff said. The festival brought in $6,000 in advance sales last year.
Raiff said the annual festival serves as the “keystone in revenues created outside of tuition dollars” for the school.
Proceeds from the festival help fund school initiatives such as tuition assistance and capital reinvestment in the community, as well as provide money for maintenance, repair and operations for the school.
Fenwick Marketing and Communications Coordinator Robin Blank says the school’s typical net proceeds fall within the $100,000 to $125,000 range. She said the amount often depends on how well the weather cooperates during the event.
Raiff estimates that the festival has grossed an average of $270,000 each year in its 59 years of existence, or $16 million total. Of that total, roughly 40 percent to 50 percent has gone to the school.
The festival begins at 6 p.m. today with an opening ceremony and hot-air balloon liftoff set for 7 p.m.
Festivities continue Saturday with a 3 p.m. Texas Hold ‘em tournament, with registration set for 2 p.m. The festival opens at 4 p.m.
Sunday’s finale opens at 4 p.m. and runs through 10 p.m.
Highlights include a Sons of Italy spaghetti dinner at 4:30 p.m., a scheduled Team Fastrax parachuting performance at 7 p.m., raffle drawings throughout the evening and music by the band Stagger Lee.
“One of the festival’s priorities was to engage a widespread volunteer group,” Blank said. The festival committee, which is co-chaired this year by Rick and Saundra Pearce, had a goal of signing up 300 student volunteers. Blank said 545 volunteers have registered.
“We are introducing a lot of new fresh ideas. From stilt walkers, to the number of bands, the Fastrax jumpers and a balloon launch, that’s all new to the festival this year,” Saundra Pearce said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2851 or jbombatch@coxohio.com.
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