St. John the Apostle

LEESBURG, VA

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Parish Picnic 2025

Parish Picnic 2025: Saturday, September 13th
Rain date: October 4th
- Come join the fun! Admission is free, and all are welcome!
  
  Bring a lawn chair and pack a picnic lunch for your family, or purchase food from one of our vendors, and enjoy the many entertainment options with our parish community. There is something for everyone!
  
  Entertainment
  Along with admission, all activities (with the exception of the wine tasting) are free of charge.
  
  Carnival Style Games & Face Painting
  Come play carnival-style games and win prizes! Each child will be given tickets for the games upon entry to the picnic at the Welcome Table. Face painting will also be available.
  
  Inflatables & Mechanical Bull
  Provided by Astrojump. Kids will enjoy three bounce houses for different ages and an obstacle course! Mechanical bull will have an attendant to ensure height requirements for riders are met.
  
  Ax Throwing & Archery
  Provided by Odyssey Mobile Adventures. We will have multiple lanes for each available, and an attendant on site to help ensure safety.
  
  Church Tour (2:15pm)
  Walk through the church with Deacon Mark and discuss the theological background of the architecture and the history of our beautiful church building!
  
  Children's Story Time (3:00pm-3:30pm)
  Does your little one need some down time during the chaos of a big picnic? Join Gayle Lowe, a voiceover professional and St. John's lector, in the Garden Room for story time. All are welcome, but this will be geared for children 5 and under. A parent must accompany their child to story time.
  
  Pick Up Sports Games (11:30am ultimate frisbee & 2:00pm soccer)
  Middle schoolers to adults are welcome to meet for ultimate frisbee and soccer on the side yard of the Parish Center.
  
  Apple Pie Contest (judging begins at 1:30pm)
  Think you have the best apple pie in the parish? Email [email protected], or sign-up after Sunday Mass when available, and check your pie into the Welcome Table on the day of the picnic no later than 1pm. Judging will begin at 1:30pm. May the best pie win! Note: The pie entered must be an apple pie!
  
  Heritage Dancing (12:45pm-1:30pm)
  Showcase your culture through the beauty of dance. Contact Liliana DeCastro at [email protected] to sign up, or sign up after Sunday Mass when available.
  
  Bingo (3:00pm-4:00pm)
  Bingo for prizes, for ages 13 and up in the Fellowship Hall.
  
  Wine Tasting “Pilgrimage” (12:00pm)
  New this year! Go on pilgrimage around Italy and learn about different saints of the region, all while enjoying a tasting of wine with small bites of food. Tickets will be $5 a person, for a maximum of 30 people. You may purchase your ticket at the Welcome Table the day of the Parish Picnic. This will be a first come, first served event.
  
  Live Music (Sets begin around 11:45am & 2:00pm)
  Paul Gilly and the Gunslingers (with Fr. Ed's brother!)
  
  DJ: Patrick O'Mara aka "DJ Shamrock Paddy"
  
  Food and Drink
  Bring your own picnic lunch (no outside alcohol permitted), or purchase from one of our food truck vendors!
  
  Food Vendors:
  District Small Bites Menu Available - Click Here
  Mi Ranchitos
  Paisano’s Pizza Truck
  Gruto’s Soft Serve Ice Cream
  
  Drinks:
  We will have wine and beer available for purchase, and water and sodas free of charge.
  
  Dessert:
  Gruto’s Soft Serve Ice Cream (available for purchase)
  Join us for the Apple Pie Contest judging at 1:30pm, then enjoy some delicious pies and free treats afterwards!
  
  Full Schedule of Events
  11:00am: Picnic opens, food trucks available, drinks available, the inflatables are open, the mechanical bull is open, the ax throwing and archery cages are open. This all will remain open throughout the picnic.
  11:30am: Ultimate frisbee begins (side field)
  11:45am: Live music (rectory patio)
  12:00pm-12:30pm: Wine Tasting Pilgrimage (fellowship hall)
  12:45pm-1:30PM: Heritage Dancing (church patio)
  1:30pm: Apple pie judging begins
  2:00pm: Apple pie contest winners announced, Soccer begins (side field), Live music (rectory patio)
  2:15pm: Church tour with Deacon Mark (meet inside the narthex)
  3:00pm: Bingo begins (fellowship hall)
  3:00-3:30pm: Story time for children (garden room)
  4:00pm: Picnic closes
  
  Volunteer Sign-Up
  Help make the 2025 St. John's Parish Picnic the best yet by joining the team that makes all the fun happen! Volunteers can sign-up to give an hour (or more) of their time the day of the picnic to assist with the various tasks and activities planned for the day. Adult volunteers, or teen volunteers needing service hours, are welcome!
  
  To sign-up, please click on the button below, which will take you to the sign-up page that lists all the available opportunities. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thanks for considering!
  Parish Picnic Volunteer Sign-Up
  
  Accessibility Parking
  Do you need accessibility parking, or help getting down to the parish lawn upon arrival at the Parish Picnic? We will reserve a few parking spaces for those who need the accessibility, as well as have drive up access to the parish lawn for those who need the assistance. Please see the Welcome Table when you arrive, and a volunteer will direct you to the accessibility parking available and/or the drive up access entrance to the parish lawn.