Published: June 18, 2009 01:59 pm      

Dance the night away in New Albany

St. Mary’s tradition now 25 years old

It began as a church picnic. It’s turned out to be a Father’s Day weekend tradition.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church Street Dance Weekend begins at 5 p.m. Friday. The two-day event will conclude Saturday with a street dance from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. that organizers hope will draw around 2,000 people. That is if Mother Nature cooperates.

“People do look forward to it,” said Ken Nicolas, a church member who has been part of the festival committee from day one. “You see a lot of friends there; it draws a lot of people. The key is we have a lot of good people working on it. They all get excited about the weekend and know their jobs.”

The event will take place on the church grounds, at the corner of Eighth and Spring streets.

This year the committee has added a few new twists, too.

On Friday, there will be cornhole and Texas hold’em tournaments and an indoor casino area. Traditional German and Irish music will be played, and there will be a beer-tasting booth featuring local brews from the New Albanian, Blue Grass, Cumberland and Browning breweries. There will be food, a cake wheel and other games. All ages are welcome Friday and there is no cover charge.

“Saturday is our biggest draw, but we are really trying to build up Friday night,” said Michelle Braden, who is in charge of the festival committee. “We’re excited about the beer tasting; it seems to really be in vogue these days. It’s good for the local breweries.”

The annual street dance features six hours of continuous music from local bands 100% Poly and The Rumors and will be Saturday’s highlight. You must be 21 to attend Saturday’s festivities and there is a $10 cover charge.

On both days, festival-goers can buy chances for the $10,000 capital prize and a 42-inch LCD TV. All proceeds from the festival benefit St. Mary’s Church and school.

“We are trying to find our niche in terms of Friday,” Braden said. “We want to throw a good party for the community, and we’re excited about some of the additions we’ve added.”

Braden said when many people hear St. Mary’s, they immediately think of the Street Dance Weekend.

“A lot of people look forward to it each year,” she said.

There also will be free tours of the historic church given from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday night.

Nicolas said the church members have always stepped up and helped with putting on the weekend.

“I think the community knows we need the money for our school and everybody pitches in,” he said.

St. Mary’s also has had to compete with the weather and competition from other events in the region in recent years.

“Right now, we’re just praying for good weather,” Braden said. “Right now there doesn’t look to be any chance of rain, so that is good.”



IF YOU GO

• The St. Mary’s Street Dance Weekend will be held Friday and Saturday on the church grounds, 415 E. Eighth St., New Albany. On Friday, from 5 p.m. to midnight, there will be a cornhole and Texas hold’em tournament, as well as a beer garden with a beer-tasting booth featuring local brews. All ages are welcome.

• On Saturday, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., a street dance featuring The Rumors and 100% Poly will take place. Saturday’s dance is for adults 21 and older.