Saint Anthony Feast This Weekend

Last week we enjoyed the Grecian Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Vestal. This weekend, it's all about the Italian food as St. Anthony's Church in Endicott celebrates their feast days Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the church on O'dell Avenue.

My wife and I try to go to as many of the local church bazaars and feast days as we can. Not only does it help out the churches, it saves us from cooking that night. We enjoy all the awesome Italian food and of course we hit the beer tent as well.

They have a casino in the basement of the church with the big six wheel and some card games too. There's also a kids area that wraps around the church where the kids can try their hand at various games to win prizes.

I usually end up helping to clean up Friday and Saturday nights after the festival, and on Sunday after the event ends. My friend Mike is one of the leaders of a Boy Scout Troop in Endicott and the church donates money to that boy scout pack in exchange for the troop cleaning up each night of the event, and helping to take everything down on Sunday.

I've never been a Boy Scout, I never had a child that was a boy scout, I don't even belong to that church, but every year my friend Mike guilt's me in to helping him help kids.

Friday and Saturday night we are armed with leaf blowers and brooms as we clean under the big tent as well as the streets surrounding the church. Then on Sunday, we help to take down all the booths, move the bleachers, and take down the tents. I'm usually up there every year helping him with that as well. Last year I couldn't because I ended up with a ruptured disc in my back and spent most of the weekend in the hospital.

So if you go to Saint Anthony's this weekend, make sure you say hi if you see me.

For more information on St Anthony's Italian feast days check out their website.