The opening of St. Joan of Arc’s carnival on June 6 marked the last afternoon of classes for a school preparing for major changes next year.
The long-running family fest marks the unofficial start to the summer season for the parish community and the almost 200 students who attend St. Joan of Arc School in Evanston.
The Family Fest Carnival is the largest fundraising event of the year, organizers say, and all proceeds will go to benefit the parish and school.
Kim Ryan, a parish volunteer and school alum, said she has four nephews and one niece currently attending St. Joan of Arc School, and the carnival has always revolved around a strong sense of community.
“Every parishioner plays a role in the success of the carnival,” Ryan said. “Volunteer moms make the signs and banners, grandmas man the food tents, and moms take turns at the ticket booth, beer tents and as clean-up crew.”
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The parish partnered with Windy City Amusements to offer traditional arcade games and popular rides.
According to Jeana Marqueda, the event’s co-chair, this year’s carnival comes at a momentous time for the school, which officially closed its current iteration on June 7.
The launch of a new independent Catholic school, at the same location, is scheduled for late August.
“The new school, The Academy at St. Joan of Arc, will be a brand new entity, and one of the first independent elementary Catholic schools on the North Shore,” Marqueda said.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for us to expand our autonomy and to become part of a new view on Catholic education,” she added.
Parent volunteer Holly Pickering said the event is really about being part of a community celebration.
“We look forward to the tradition of the carnival every year, it gives us a chance to celebrate the kid in all of us,” Pickering said.