St. Patrick School student Bandon Randall defends his watermelon eating crown in the age group for 5- to 9-year-olds. Later, he came up just a bit short in the all-ages category.
(Posted Aug. 14, 2023)
By Derdra Cordle, Staff Writer/Photographer
At the St. Patrick Community Festival, held Aug. 11-12 at St. Patrick School in London, hundreds of people enjoyed live music, placed bids on auction items to benefit the school as it raises money to purchase new playground equipment and new furniture for the elementary classrooms.
Face painting artist Amy Likens adorns the face of Jersey Evans, 8, with flowers.With mallet in hand, Jack Lewis attempts to launch a fake frog onto a lily pad a few yards away.Fr. Dwayne McNew of Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in West Jefferson weaves his way through a crowd of partiers.Bryce Miller tends to the always popular Knights of Columbus French fries.Keenan Blanke, lead singer of The Reaganomics, rocks out to the band’s cover of “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes. The Columbus-based band specializes in 80s New Wave music and other pop hits from the 90s.The Reaganomics add dimension to their performance: (from left) lead singer, Keenan Blanke; keyboardist, Kas Streif; and bassist, Tommy Caradonna.Julie Brand (left) and Linda Fuls (right) cut a rug on the makeshift dance floor.Gracelyn Miller, 6, concentrates as she tries to find the right amount of force to get a golf ball up the ramp and into the hole.
