Plenty of fun scheduled for St. Monica’s
By Daily Press staff
Octoberfair — St. Monica Church’s biggest fund-raiser — kicks off Friday and runs through the weekend.
Highlights include a chili cook-off on Friday, a 5K run/walk and “Diaper Dash” on Saturday and carnival rides and games all weekend.
The fund-raiser, benefitting the families of the victims in the July 16 Farmers Market tragedy, will include TV’s “HULK,” Lou Ferrigno; Mimi Kennedy, the “earthmom” from “Dharma & Greg,” and Olympic Hall of Fame ice skater Gary Visconti. They will participate in events to showcase the fair, which will open on Friday night.
The chili contest serves as the kick-off to the event, and Kennedy plans to cook up a vegetarian chili. The cooking begins at 5 p.m. and the judges will taste the creations at 7:30 p.m. At 8 p.m., awards will be given and the chili will be sold for $1 a serving. Father Wilie will preside as this year’s head chili master. So get out your chili powder, peppers, your lucky apron, secret ingredients and your favorite chili pot. The competition intensifies with the addition of various Santa Monica city organizations, not to mention the church’s pastor who plans to cook up his legendary Norwegian chili.
Visconti will lead off the 5K run/walk starting at the church at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Results and race prizes will be awarded from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Right after the run/walk, the “Diaper Dash” will begin at the Kid’s Zone big tent. Parents can enter their kids for $10 and they will race in their diapers. Kids can be as young as 1 month old and as old as 36 months old.
There also will be live music and entertainment, as well as a “Kids Zone,” including a petting zoo, clowns and story-time, and a hand-craft boutique. Numerous food booths from local restaurants and from the church’s parishioners add to the weekend’s festivities.
The fair wraps up Sunday evening with a drawing. The grand prize is a new 2-door Ford Explorer, courtesy of Ed Butts Ford.
Hours for the fair are 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Admission for adults is $3, seniors, $1; and free for children under 12 years old when accompanied by a paid adult. Proceeds benefit St. Monica’s two schools and several local community outreach organizations. St. Monica’s is located at 725 California Ave.
For more information about the fair, call (310) 393- 9287, or go to www.octoberfair.org.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 25, 2003. Read the original PDF.