Church near Mundelein hosts 38th annual event
St. Mary of the Annunciation’s 38th Annual Pork and Corn Roast, one of Lake County’s signature summer festivals, is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4, at the church on Erhart Road, off Route 60 in Fremont Center, near Mundelein.
“The idea of roasting 23 whole Lake County Fair award-winning pigs through the night, removing each from its specially attended charcoal spit at precisely the right moment, carving them into handsome portions of melt-in-your mouth roast pork to go along with fresh and sweet corn on the cob, succulent tomatoes, spunky sauerkraut — and, oh yes, to-die-for baked beans — and feeding thousands of hungry folks who come from all over Lake County, well, it certainly brings the people of St. Mary of the Annunciation together,” said the Rev. Ron Lewinski, pastor of the church.
The day begins with a 5K Hog Jog in the morning, followed by children’s games, super bingo, and other festivities beginning at 2 p.m.
The fair includes a petting zoo, pony rides and a big country raffle with a $7,500 grand prize.
The day blends into evening with the dinner line starting at 4 p.m. and plenty of satellite bars with beer and wine and other refreshments.
If you thought that wasn’t enough to put you into a full throttle community spirit, there is a live rock and roll band entertaining the masses from 4 p.m. until the festival closes at 8 p.m.
“What makes this event so special is its rich, country flair,” said Lewinski, who marks his 17th year as pastor of the church this year.
Under his stewardship, St. Mary has grown from a few hundred families to more than 1,700. They also built a new church in 2002 to help provide greater worship and education space.
“People don’t believe there is still a lot of rural in greater Mundelein. That’s why we’ve continued to host this wonderful summer feast for 38 years now,” Lewinski said.
“It takes us back to our roots. Many of our parish families emanate from early 19th century settlers — folks who worked the land with their hands — folks who built our first church across from a barn that still houses some cows to this day. So, we reflect on our rich heritage during this day of fun, food, family, and, I like to think a healthy dose of faith, too.”
The event benefits the St. Mary of the Annunciation K-5 day school on campus and many other parish educational programs. It has been the parish’s primary fundraiser for years.
Visit www.stmaryfc.org for more information.