Knights of Columbus hope new Fall Festival will revitalize building

Sep 13, 2019

MATTAPOISETT — The Knights of Columbus are so good at giving away money to charitable causes that they don’t leave enough to fix up their own building. 

A new Fall Festival, a family event planned for the end of September, will provide the group with some funds for the building, without taking away from any of the organizations that it has given to in the past. 

“It was a need, a way to generate funds for our building preservation fund,” said John Vaughn, to explain why the group decided to tackle the two day event.   

Vaughn explained that the roof is falling apart, the front leaks, the air conditioning is on its last legs and the group hopes to add handicap accessible restrooms to the building.

Without the additional funding for the building, “it’s possible we could go away,” Vaughn said.  

The group’s goal is to “raise money to give away,” to churches in town, their scholarship fund and other groups. They also highly value providing “a community a place to go.”  

As an example, the Knights host teen dances on Fridays to “give teens an outlet at least once a month and give [the funds] back to graduating seniors,” as scholarships Vaughn said.  

With the Fall Festival, the group hopes to “create an annual tradition we can bank on” for renovation funds, “so we won’t have to not give things we’ve given before,” Vaughn explained.  

Vaughn said there are already 40 vendors signed up for the festival, with more registering every day. The group hopes to get close to 50. Vendors range from arts and crafts booths to a generator company. 

There will also be lots of food, “fried and otherwise,” as Vaughn puts it. Fried options include fried peanut butter and jelly while non-fried food includes pizza, cotton candy, hamburgers, hot dogs, beer, wine and Captain Bonney’s ice cream.  

The group will have its hall open to eat, and to listen to entertainment with the vendors stationed outside. 

The police and fire departments will also be outside the hall, for children to see their trucks and cars. The group will also have entertainment on the stage all day both days, including familiar groups like Retro Roots and Showstoppers.  

The Fall Festival will take place Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.