Sacred Heart Church works long and hard to produce the fun, food
By Mary Ellen Day, Special Writer
Volunteers working for months have made 20,700 individual pierogis to sell at the 45th annual Sacred Heart Summer Festival, which begins Tuesday on church grounds on Filak Street.
They expect to sell them all, as well as perhaps 64,000 potato pancakes in the week.
The festival known for its Polish food made fresh daily, usually draws a crowd of more than 10,000 people.
The festival runs from 6-10 p.m. through Saturday, Aug 3. (On Saturday, the hours are 5 to 10 p.m. with Saturday night mass changed to 4 p.m. for the day)
Maribeth Thomaszfski, who chairs the event, is looking forward to another successful festival.
Festival-goes clamor to buy a Polish platter — one stuffed cabbage, one pierogi, cabbage and noodles, kielbasa and bread for $8.
In past years, people came from all over and they stood in lines for hours for potato pancakes and the Polish platter, but this year the potato pancake line will be different.
Instead of waiting for hours, Ms. Thomaszfski said, there will be a ticket number system like the one used in a supermarket deli. Your number will be called when the order is ready.
”I hope it works because that will let people go play games or get other food, then go back and get the potato pancakes and not stay in that line,” she said.
A permanent building was built for the making of about 64,000 potato pancakes during the festival.
The festival will feature rides for the kids and fun for the whole family with a Bouncy’s for the kids and maybe even a Ferris wheel this year. The children’s train will be back, along with the slide.
Booths include the arts and crafts stand, cake stand and water game. All games are $1 and prizes will be for just one win. The cake stand is 50 cents a game and is all homemade goodies. There is a nightly 50/50 and the super cash raffle, which will be drawn on Saturday at 10 p.m.
Polish night is Wednesday night and features all Polish music. New this year will be a band on Friday night playing a mixture of both traditional and Polish music.
Ms. Thomaszfski is hoping to bring a crowd out to the listen to the Polish music both nights.
”We are trying to get more people to stay longer while they are here by getting a band,” she said. “Hopefully they will stay and invite others to come. I hope that it is going to be a huge thing that people stay and dance.”
The other three nights a DJ will spin records.
Something else that is new is Italian ice all week — just in case it is really hot said Ms. Thomaszfski.
The church is going through the process called “renewing the church” in Manville, which will lead to the two parishes merging into one at the beginning of 2104. The parishes will use the festival to work together as one community.
People can bring homemade baked items for the nightly cake stand each night or drop it off after 8 a.m. in the church auditorium.
It takes more than 100 volunteers daily to run the event. Kitchen helpers make the stuffed cabbage fresh each morning and people peel the potatoes and onions, sell tickets, work the stand and games and cook. Anyone can volunteer — they won’t turn anyone away — but they must be at least 18 years old.
If you would like to help, call the church at 908-725-0072 or visit the website www.sacred-heart-church.org.
Advanced food tickets are being sold for $20 for $25 worth. You can get tickets until Tuesday, July 30, at the church office or by purchasing them at this weekend’s Masses.

