NEW PARIS — Bethany Church of the Brethren, located on US 6, 1 mile east of SR 15, will hold its 41st annual Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 13.

Festivities will include a bazaar, open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., a pork dinner served from 4 to 7 p.m. for dining in and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for drive-thru meals and an auction beginning at 7 p.m.

Several members of Bethany Church of the Brethren prepare a couple batches of apple butter for the church’s Fall Festival. Pictured are, from left, Dick Groves, Rick Burger, Andy Gall, Dean Kauffman, Lester Krull, Ron Wedel and Gene Lange. (Photo provided)

A queen-size quilt pieced by the Bethany Ladies, along with other items, will be auctioned off. “The quilt is dark blue and burgundy with stars,” said Lavonne Warstler, one of the church members helping plan the event.

The dine-in meal includes an all-you-can-eat salad bar, homemade bread and rolls, homemade dessert and beverage. Carry-out meals, served from a trailer at the east end of the church’s parking lot, will consist of pork, homemade bread, chips, cookie and a sample of apple butter cooked up by church members.

“We will be roasting three whole hogs this year,” said Lavonne’s husband, Joe. “They’ll start cooking them at midnight.”

The dine-in meal is $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and free for children 4 and under. Drive-thru meals are $8 each.

The bazaar will offer a host of items, many which have proven popular in past years. Inventory for the auction and bazaar will include noodles, bread, rolls, baked goods and apple butter, all made by members of the church; arts and craft items; ceramics; holiday items; and homemade greeting cards.

The apple butter will be sold in quarts, pints and half pints. It is best to arrive well before the doors open for the bazaar, according to the Warstlers.

“People who have been coming for years expect this and they get here early,” said Joe. “They look for stuff like whoopie pies, monster cookies, ginger cookies, cinnamon rolls and homemade bread.”

The first festival was held to help fund paving the church’s parking lot and has grown significantly in attendance and purpose over the past four decades.

“We feel it is the biggest outreach for our church to try to bring people in,” said Joe, who also cited the “fellowship of the church working together on a project” as a benefit of the festival.

“The next generation is now picking up and taking over,” he said. “They are willing to do the jobs, which is a really neat thing for the church.”

Lavonne added, “It is intergenerational, for sure.”

Proceeds will be disbursed in two directions, with 65 percent going to the church’s outreach missions such as food banks in Milford, Syracuse and Fairfield; Camp Mack; The Window in Goshen; and Heifer International; and 35 percent reserved for Bethany’s current capital campaign to add a sanctuary to the church building.

For more information, call the church at (574) 831-4993.

Several members of Bethany Church of the Brethren prepare a couple batches of apple butter for the church’s Fall Festival. Pictured are, from left, Dick Groves, Rick Burger, Andy Gall, Dean Kauffman, Lester Krull, Ron Wedel and Gene Lange. (Photo provided)