The St. Luke's United Church of Christ (UCC) Spring Thing is a labor of love for a number of church members who help to make each year's festival enjoyable for all who attend. Volunteers and committee members wear easy-to-identify green shirts to the Spring Thing festival, and the event's frog theme is recognizable in some of the booths and in the frog costume worn by the Spring Thing mascot.
The festival, which combines a chicken barbecue with a yard sale, a bake sale, a vendor sale, haircuts, activities for children, and food, will be held on Saturday, May 4, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church, 222 N. Broad St., Lititz. The festival will also feature themed basket giveaways, a silent auction, and more.
The church offers space for up to 50 vendors, and organizer Janie Markert has lined up several who will sell items at the festival. Among these are a woman who sells brand-name bags and another who makes crafts. Yard sale items and repurposed items will also be offered for sale at other vendor spaces.
Church members set up several areas where specific items are sold, including Granny's Attic, where all items are sold by donation, with the exception of the "buck a blouse," which includes gently used blouses. This year, weather permitting, Granny's Attic may open on Friday, May 3, at 4 p.m. The Frogs, Frogs, and More stand will feature a large number and variety of frog items for sale. The church will also organize a stand selling plants and heirloom tomatoes.
The gift basket giveaway will feature more than 20 baskets. Church members are creating a Wolf Sanctuary basket, a chocolate basket, an olive oil basket, a book basket, a soup basket, a car wash bucket, a cat basket, a baking basket, a lavender basket, a movie basket, a bird basket, a snowman's picnic basket, and a children's craft basket, among others. In addition, a variety of restaurant gift cards will be given away. A silent auction will include items donated by vendors at the event as well as by local businesses. The silent auction and basket giveaway will close at about 1 p.m., and winners will be announced at 1:30 p.m. .
Half-chickens will be sold at the chicken barbecue, and food items at the Spring Thing cafe will include egg croissant sandwiches in the morning and hot dogs and chips at lunchtime. Church members will also make pies, including blueberry, apple, shoofly, pecan, and cherry, to be sold along with a variety of baked goods. Each visitor will receive a free individual-sized bag of pretzels courtesy of church member and Lititz Mayor Tim Snyder.
Activities for children, which will begin at 10 a.m., will include face painting, a dime-toss game, and balloon animals. Organizers also hope to have a hayride.
St. Luke's pastor Dr. James Haun, a certified barber, along with church member Mary Kay Garner, who is a licensed hairdresser, team up each year to provide haircuts by donation during the event.
Some of the funds raised by the Spring Thing are used to help members of the community. This year, organizers will donate a percentage to a church member who is a young mother battling cancer.
There is no admission to attend Spring Thing, and parking is available on the church grounds. Readers who have questions may call 717-626-7100.
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