Growing up Baptist in a predominantly Catholic small town wasn’t easy come autumn. Why? Because by the time September rolled around, so did our local parishes’ fall festivals. Festivals I could never go to because there would be BEER and GAMBLING. (Never mind the fact that all the money raised went to the church!) Fast-forward a decade or two and the allure of a quintessentially Catholic fall festival still hasn’t diminished. And in fact, many of them offer thrift- and vintage-loving folks like me really wonderful shopping opps.

On Friday, I had the good fortune of attending St. Helena’s Autumn Daze festival with my friend Phil, Mighty Swell‘s Mr. Fix-It + all-around awesome dude.

I got there around 6 p.m., right when the massive rummage sale started. It was really packed, but the prices were great and Phil was there to help me carry my stuff, so I soldiered through. (Next year, I’ll be bringing a huge IKEA tote or my grocery-getter!)

Starving after combing the sale, we hit up the fish fry tent. Seven bucks for a hefty plate of fried walleye, fries and the most delicious fresh coleslaw I’ve ever had. (Price included coffee + homemade cookies too!) It was so good.

After that, we ventured inside the church to scope out the book sale and bingo situation, with a few pit stops along the way to look at the Country Store and bid on some silent auction items.

I really wanted to stick around to play quilt bingo and see the fireworks, but after working all day, I was pooped, so I headed home, arms heavy with my treasures. Speaking of treasures, here are a few of the things I found.

Vintage decorating books to add to my collection. The Better Homes & Gardens guide is from 1956 and the condition =  mint. I can’t wait to dig into the Betty Pepis one, too—it’s from 1965. All the hardcover books were $2 each.

I found a half-dozen or so records, including this Linda Ronstadt one. I’m not a humongous  fan of hers but I was charmed by the photo on the cover. How sweet does she look? I just love her smile (and her hair). All the records were $2 a piece.

This “No Smoking” cross-stitched magnet was all of 10 cents. Y’all already know about my love for plastic canvas so picking it up was a no-brainer. (Side note: Did you know that social scientists can determine how much clutter there is in our homes just by looking at the number of magnets, pictures, calendars, etc. on the front of our fridges? It’s scary and true!)
And last but not least, yet another sentimental cross-stitched sampler to add to my bedroom collection, bring the total up to four. (!!!)

Anyway, if you’re curious about parish festivals and want to check one out for yourself, here’s a fairly comprehensive run-down of events coming up in the Twin Cities area. I’ve already got my eye on the Touch of Lebanon festival up in Northeast. Perhaps I’ll see you there?

xo,

Meghan