125th Seminary Picnic brings generations together in Perryville
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
PERRYVILLE, Mo. (KBSI)— For 125 years, the St. Vincent De Paul Seminary Picnic has brought generations of families back to Perryville, creating a tradition that organizers say is about far more than food, games and fundraising.
The annual event serves as one of the biggest fundraisers for St. Vincent de Paul Parish and its school, but longtime volunteers say what has kept the picnic going for more than a century is the people who return year after year to make it happen.
Seminary Picnic Chairman Bill Wingerter Jr. said his own family’s connection to the event dates back decades.
“I’ve been involved with the picnic for about 30 years,” Wingerter said. “My family has been involved with the picnic since 1964, when my mom and dad moved back here to Perryville.”
That type of family connection was common throughout the picnic grounds, where many volunteers said they were continuing traditions started by parents, grandparents and other relatives.
Wingerter said this year’s event marks the picnic’s 125th anniversary, a milestone he believes reflects the community’s commitment to preserving the tradition.
“We have lots of history,” Wingerter said. “It’s not just about the Catholics here at St. Vincent. It’s about a community coming together and enjoying food, prizes, games and music and having fun and connecting.”
Visitors spent the weekend enjoying food, bingo, carnival rides and live entertainment. One of the picnic’s longtime attractions featured more than 140 handmade quilts available as bingo prizes, with organizers saying each quilt is hand-stitched rather than machine-made.
Beyond the festivities, Wingerter said the event plays an important role in supporting the parish and its school.
“As we raise the money at this picnic, it goes back to the church… being St. Vincent de Paul here in Perryville,” Wingerter said. “And within that, it goes to help fund our day schools along with our parish school religion.”
The weekend relies on hundreds of volunteers to fill positions across the picnic grounds, from preparing food to running games and bingo.
Bingo Chairman Dawn Kassel said the event represents much more than a church fundraiser.
“I hope the community realizes the unity, the faith and the support for everybody involved in the picnic,” Kassel said. “It’s much bigger than just the Catholic Church. It is about the entire town, and it brings everybody home.”
Organizers say those generations of volunteers, along with families who continue returning year after year, are what have allowed the Seminary Picnic to remain a Perryville tradition for 125 years.
Learn more at: seminarypicnic.org.
