Vanilla. If you were to ask my four-year-old son, Davin, what flavor of ice cream he’d want, for the longest time he would tell you, “banilla.” Don’t get me wrong, vanilla is good, but there’s nothing wrong with venturing out and trying something new either … especially when it comes to ice cream. In my plight for variety, I got him try a little chocolate syrup, whip cream, and even some sprinkles at times, but the thought of trying a new flavor other than vanilla must have seemed a bit risky, I guess.
It wasn’t until I brought Davin over to the local ice cream shop that he tried a flavor other than vanilla. I think that seeing the variety of colorful, exciting flavors behind the glass – like rum cherry, mint chocolate chip, and Superman (a fruity, colorful concoction of red, yellow and blue), did it give Davin the incentive to try something new. And sure enough, he has a new favorite. Now whenever we go to the ice cream shop, Davin orders a small Superman, the now go-to flavor for him. The moral: It can be fun to try something new and different… you may even surprise yourself and gain a new favorite.
I was thinking about this as my church, Christ Our Light Catholic Parish of Princeton and Zimmerman, is also trying ‘a new flavor,’ if you will. This year, Christ Our Light is changing-up its traditional one-day fall festival and expanding it into a weekend celebration on August 20-21, entitled, “Summer Bash.”
This move allows our parish to expand its festivities and create even more opportunities for all ages within and outside of our community. Additionally, we hope to attract a large crowd by adding a huge Summer Bash Dance featuring none other than Boogie Wonderland.
Known as the premier disco tribute band hailing from Minneapolis, Boogie Wonderland has been packing dance floors since 1997! The band is set to take the stage at the Mille Lacs County Fairgrounds band shell on Saturday night, August 20, for the Summer Bash Dance. Boogie Wonderland is known for engaging their guests of all ages, providing classic disco music that everyone knows and loves; they also include some cover songs making it easy to literally dance the night away. “This is a band that will appeal to all age brackets,” says Maureen Putnam, Music and Liturgy Director at Christ Our Light. “I had the pleasure of seeing Boogie Wonderland perform at the 2015 Holly Ball in St. Cloud. Boogie Wonderland is such a great dance band… they had everyone on their feet dancing and really know how to engage an audience,” Putnam said.
The Summer Bash weekend will be packed with fun for all ages, offering something for everyone. “On Sunday we’re looking forward to games for all ages and skills, a human foosball and Baggo bean bag tournaments, inflatables, live music throughout the day, great food and so much more,” says Karen Michels, Volunteer Chair for Summer Bash.
The Summer Bash Dance will start at 7 pm at the band shell at the Mille Lacs County Fairgrounds, with the gate opening at 6 pm. Beer, hard lemonade, sodas and concessions including peanuts, popcorn, pizza, BBQ and mini-donuts will be sold on-site. Tickets for the dance are $10 in advance ($15 at the gate) and are available at summerbashmn.com.
Summer Bash Sunday is at Christ Our Light’s North campus at 804 7th Ave. S., Princeton on August 21. Admission is free. The day will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will begin with an outdoor Mass with our very own Fr. Kevin Anderson presiding. For a complete schedule of events and offerings, please visit summerbashmn.com.
Christ Our Light is trying something new this year, alright, and just like trying a new ice cream flavor, we hope it will prove to be a fun, new experience. Please know that it would be a real treat to have you join us for our Summer Bash!
Jennifer Adams is the communications and office assistant at Christ Our Light Parish in Princeton and Zimmerman.