A Weekend of Festivals Coming Up in Oakdale

Oakdale residents will have their pick of crafts, baked goods, silent auction items, dinners and entertainment this coming weekend.

Both of Oakdale’s Catholic churches hold their fall festivals Sept. 16 through 18.

festival will include a number of new events such as a 5K family walk/run, carnival rides, a bake-off, a canning contest and a dinner Friday night to kick off the weekend.

“It’s going to be so fun,” said Bernie Swafford, events coordinator for the church. “I know people are really looking forward to it.”

The church will also bring back some old favorites including Bingo, a GB Leighton concert on Saturday night, crafts and a silent auction, Swafford said.

See the full schedule of events and get tickets on Transfiguration’s website.

At , new events include a tent full of Minute to Win It games for kids and adults, and a performance by Ensemble Aventura at 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, said event co-chair Marlyce Paulson.

Ensemble Aventura includes two violinists, a pianist and percussionist—to be joined at the mass by a bassist—that play an eclectic collection of music from South America, Eastern Europe and other regions of the world.

Returning crowd-pleasers include a pasta dinner on Saturday and chicken dinner on Sunday catered by the Lake Elmo Inn, activities and games for kids, and a fireworks show Saturday night.

“It’s one of the better fireworks shows that I’ve ever seen,” Paulson said.

To see the full schedule of events for the Guardian Angels Church Fall Festival, see the church’s website.

Both event organizers said the festivals are important fundraisers and community building events for the churches, and, in the case of Transfiguration, the church’s school.