St. Catherine Cancels Carnival For Second Year In A Row

OAK LAWN, IL — For the second year in a row, the coronavirus pandemic has put revelry at the popular St. Catherine of Alexandria carnival on hold.

The annual carnival, which typically falls on the first full weekend in June, aims to help raise funds for the Oak Lawn parish's K-8 elementary school.

In a social media post, St. Catherine's carnival committee called on members of the public to find and participate in other fundraising opportunities planned for the school and parish.

One such ongoing fundraiser is the "Keep the Dream Alive" raffle, which will reward one lucky person $75,000. Drawings for the jackpot, along with six smaller prizes, will be completed after the 9:30 a.m. mass on June 27.

"Everyone's health and safety is our number one priority at this time. We will return next year bigger and better than ever," organizers wrote on social media. "Thank you for all of your continued support over the years and don't forget to support our local restaurants and small businesses during these unprecedented months."

Concerns about the coronavirus pandemic also led to the cancellation of the carnival in 2020. At the time, parish carnival committee member Kai Grant said the parish had enough funds from previous carnivals to continue supporting the school.

"Luckily, we were able to make good profits from the last few years, and we're fine as far as the school goes," Grant said told Patch in 2020. "The carnival is the first weekend in June and most our planning takes place now up until the carnival."

As of Thursday, all of Illinois was in Phase 4 of the state’s reopening plan, which limits festivals and general admission outdoor events to 30 people per 1,000 square feet. Similarly, things like outdoor social events are limited to a maximum of 500 attendees, and flea markets are caped at 30 people per 1,000 square feet.

"Everyone's health and safety is our number one priority at this time. We will return next year bigger and better than ever," organizers said on social media.