With another successful year under its belt, the annual Seminary Picnic — held last weekend on the picnic grounds in Perryville — marked its 123rd year of delivering three days of fun, fellowship and family-friendly entertainment to Perry County and the region.
While temperatures were well into the 90s throughout the weekend, the heat did nothing to dampen the turnout that committee spokesperson Randy Dickmann estimated at between 10 to 15 thousand people who attended throughout the three-day event.
Crowds began gathering Friday evening as the Seminary Picnic to enjoy all the popular event had to offer.
“Friday night was very good,” he said. “We had a nice crowd. It was a beautiful evening and comfortable. We had a nice breeze. Saturday was a good crowd too. People stayed around and enjoyed visiting. Some had their class reunions while others just got together.”
Seminary Picnic favorites like the carousel, train, amusement park rides and games brought out the young people, while the wide selection of musical entertainment, the horseshoe tournament and the ever-popular bingo game was a draw for the adults.
“Bing is the number one thing — and the homemade ice cream,” Dickman said.
New for this year at the Seminary Picnic was the Handmade Craft Fair on Sunday.
“The craft fair went very well,” Dickmann said. “The vendors were very pleased with everything.”
Spirits were high throughout the Seminary Picnic. Wherever one looked, the youngest children to the oldest adults appeared to be having a great time.
Summing up the weekend, Dickmann said, “Everything went very well. It was just ideal weather. Friends met old friends. They’re already getting ready for next year.”
Plans are already underway for next year’s Seminary Picnic — which is held annually on the first weekend of August. Dickmann said that, after taking a few months off, the committee begins planning for next year. An event that brings in as many people as the Seminary Picnic requires a lot of planning to make sure everything goes off without a hiccup.
“We’ll be ready,” he said. “We’re already looking forward to the next one.”
For more photos, click here: 123rd Seminary Picnic
