Our Lady of the Lakes Spring Festival

Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church will be hosting its 41st annual Spring Festival on the school's grounds on N.W. 67th Avenue and Miami Lakeway North (N.W. 158 St.) the weekend of March 5th through 8th.

There is something for everyone in the family. If you are looking for a fun-filled day or weekend, this is the place to be. Stroll through the main section, play games, visit local business exhibits and stop for dinner. The food court features an array of the best international food booths found at any carnival. There is something for every taste including Latin, Cuban, Mexican, Italian, Jamaican, Colombian, Filipino, BBQ, American, Spanish Tapas and much more, which is guaranteed to please all festival goers.

More than twenty popular carnival rides and attractions will thrill people of all ages, including toddlers in the special kiddy ride section. Come and see Miami Lakes from the top of the Giant Ferris Wheel, listen to loud music at high speeds on the Orbiter, and experience the thrill on the Kamikaze. Young people can scramble through fun houses, climb aboard a pirate ship and play some carnival games.

The main stage is full of different live shows and performances throughout the weekend. Music will fill the nights with live bands and DJs. Sunday afternoon is family day; a children’s talent show and performances from dance studios in the area take place. Those interested in performing on the stage, please email: gbsierra77@gmail.com for details and information.

It takes more than 30 volunteers about four months to organize this weekend event and more than 300 people to make it run smoothly. If you would like to volunteer to work at the festival, contact Luz Quintero at luzquinteronaranjo@msn.com.

Aside from food, rides and entertainment, there will be a basketball tournament on Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is open to the public. You can register online at www.miamibasketball.net or andre@miamibasketball.net.

Admission to the festival is free, but you’ll need tickets to ride. Ride bracelets allow you to ride as much as you want. You may purchase bracelets at a discounted price, before or after Masses on February 21 & February 22 and February 28 & March 1. You may also purchase them at the Church gift shop until March 4th between 7:30am-5:00pm. The discounted pre-festival prices are: A 4-day bracelet is only $50! Thursday-$l5, Friday- $20, Saturday -$25 and Sunday -$25.. You may also purchase these bracelets on the festival website, www.ollnet.com/festival. Bracelets will also be sold during the festival at an additional charge. Single ride tickets will be available for sale at any time during the festival.

If you want to try your luck, the festival features two raffle drawings: The Grand Raffle with a Grand Prize of $2,500.00 and subsequent prizes of $1,000.00, $500.00 and $250.00. Raffle tickets are now available at the Church office and at the Raffle Booth during the festival. A second special raffle, with three cash prizes (First Prize up to $7,500.00, Second Prize up to $5,000.00 and Third Prize up to $2,500.00) is drawn on Sunday night. A maximum of 300 tickets are sold, so the odds of winning are greater. You can purchase the special raffle tickets at the Church gift shop; simply ask for Rosa Gangi, 305-558-2202 ext 671.

Sponsorships are also being sought for this annual fund raising event. There are five levels of sponsorships: Diamond Sponsor ($2,500)Platinum Sponsor ($1,000), Gold Sponsor ($500), Silver Sponsor ($250) and Bronze Sponsor ($100). Booth space is available for area businesses who would like to promote their services or products to the community. For more information, please call Elsa Reus, 305-558-2202 ext. 616.

The festival is the primary fund raiser for Our Lady of the Lakes. Proceeds support the operating budget for the church and school. Last year, thousands of people from both Dade and Broward Counties participated in this 4-day event.

The festival hours are:
Thursday, March 5th, from 5:00 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, March 6th, from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, March 7th, from 1 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8th, from 12 noon to 9 p.m.