Jumping, splashing and gaming at St. Mary’s Festival

A steady stream of children passed Sue Lavin's game at the 2011 St. Mary's Festival on Saturday afternoon - many of them stopping to try their hand at "PeeWee Pinball.' The game, she said, worked by having children launch a marble through a field of pins and bumpers, landing in a colored slot. The color determined the number of prize chips they won, which could be exchanged for toys at the prize booth.

Jordan Travis

Spring Lake

Jul 10, 2011

Hers was one of many games and activities at the festival. Other activities included a ring-toss, bingo, dinner and a beer tent, as well as a $10,000 raffle, according to organizers.

New this year was a “Jump-a-roo” — a bungee-corded harness suspended over a trampoline — and a fair ride called a “Berry-go-round." The dinner tent also included a fish boil for the first time, as well as local musicians.

Also present were members of Knights of Columbus, who brought their Tootsie Train ride. The ride consists of steel-drum cars for small children pulled by a lawnmower-turned-locomotive.

The festival is a way to bring the community together, organizers said, but it’s also a fundraiser for St. Mary’s School. It’s an annual tradition that has been held for more than 45 years.

Read more of this story in Monday's print and e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.