If you were to drive around Lewiston and Auburn in early November, you would see many advertisements for holiday fairs at local church and school locations. Trinity Catholic School was no exception. On November 10th, at 9:00 A.M., the doors opened to the Holiday Festival. An array of stalls lay before the large crowd that attended in the junior high school gymnasium. In the center were two raffle tables where most of the teachers from both school campuses and some volunteering parents sold tickets for numerous items on display. The winnings included a skateboard, a fire pit, gift cards to various stores and restaurants, a Trinity Catholic apparel bundle, varieties of toys and games, and more. Raffle items were donated by generous local businesses and school families.

Other tables were scattered around the gym. Crafters that are associated with the school rented tables to display and sell their wares to those present, and volunteers prepared a variety of tasty treats for sale throughout the day. Also, local artist Mercedes Gastonguay auctioned a beautiful print of her latest painting, A La Memoire De Nos Sncetres (In memory of our ancestors), depicting the history of the Franco-Americans in the Lewiston/Auburn area.

The fair was also exciting for young children. They had the opportunity to have their pictures taken with Santa, who curiously resembled the sixth grade language arts’ teacher. Various games of chance, such as mini-golf and a cake walk, were set up in the cafeteria that had been transformed into a harvest haven. Prizes for the children included lollipops, decorated cakes, and stuffed animals. It seemed as though no child went home empty-handed.

Approximately sixty people volunteered to help make the fair a huge success. According to Jim Fortin, one of the four organizers, over $12,000 was raised. “The money will be used to support various arts, technology and professional development programs at Trinity Catholic School,” said Mr. Fortin. “In my opinion, the fair went very well,” he said. “Attendance exceeded our expectations, and it was very impressive to see the school community work together so well.”