A ‘phenomenal tradition’ continues with 100th annual St. Joseph Bazaar

— If the nuns could see it now.

The annual St. Joseph Bazaar in downtown Conway, to be held Aug. 2-4, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

It’s grown from nuns and schoolgirls making handmade items to sell, to raffling prizes from cotton and cows to cars.

“I think it’s a phenomenal tradition that was established by the original order of nuns after the turn of the century,” said Brad Hegeman, chairman of the St. Joseph Bazaar’s executive group.

Tommy Hiegel, this year’s midway chairman, said the big bash has been getting “bigger and bigger” every year.

“Back in the day, a long time ago, it started out very simple,” Hiegel said. “It started out as the nuns in the parish, in order to support their classrooms - they would create these hand-knit crafts. … I think they even taught knitting back then. They set up this picnic-style thing, and they would sell these handmade items to the community, and that’s how they started out making money for their classrooms.” Mary Hiegel of Conway, Tommy’s grandmother who will be 84 on Monday, has been going to the bazaars “... ever since I was a kid.” She remembers they were originally held in September, and a bale of cotton or a calf was the main prize.

“In the old days, all our parishioners were cotton farmers and things like that,” she said.

Hiegel said her husband, Al, started the flea market when he was in charge of the bazaar in the ’70s.

“His mother said, ‘Why don’t you try a flea market?’ They did, and they did real good for one day, so the next year they decided to do it several days,” she said.

Today, the indoor flea market is open year-round on the school grounds on College Avenue.

Special flea-market hours during the bazaar will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 4.

One of the changes this year is that the old-fashioned midway will be open for two nights instead of one.

It will open at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3 on the St. Joseph Church grounds.

Food is a focus of the bazaar, too.

Pounds of pasta have been sold the past several years. Boxed lunches of homemade spaghetti will be served on Aug. 3, available for delivery in Conway, and spaghetti-and-sausage dinners will be sold from 5-8 p.m. Aug. 3 in the Parish Hall, 1118 College Ave., and on the midway.

Aug. 4 will feature silent and live auctions, which will be in the St. Joseph Parish Hall beginning at 6 p.m. They will have unique offerings before the much-anticipated giveaway of the vehicle.

This year, the raffle’s grand prize will be 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Second place is a $500 gift certificate to Polaris of Conway, and third prize is an iPad.

Tommy Hiegel said the first car was given away in the ’60s, and in the past several years, a truck or sports car has been raffled.

In the ’90s, a cow would sometimes be raffled, and guess what? There’s a calf in this year’s live auction.

“We actually had one donated to us, and we’re like, ‘OK, we’re going to do it,’” Hiegel said, laughing.

Marci Martin and Sarah Moore are co-chairwomen of the live and silent auctions.

“This is one of the big fundraisers for the school,” Martin said.

The live auction came about a few years ago when the bishop banned bingo and all raffles, and then-chairwoman Lori Ross threw together anauction at the last minute.

It was so successful, the auction became part of the bazaar.

Alcoholic beverages will be served at the auction event, so it’s for adults only - 21 and older. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door.

“It’s looking good; the items are coming together,” Martin said. “The parish seems to come together and create different items every year. One of the things we’re excited about that’s new is a tour of golf.”

The package includes a golf game for four to Centennial Valley Country Club, the Conway Country Club, and the Pleasant Valley and Chenal country clubs.

A handmade canoe, which took hours of work by Lucas Strack and many volunteers, is up for auction.

Other live-auction items include a tailgating package for the University of Central Arkansas, a hayride and authentic German meal for up to 25 people at a parishioner’s farm, jewelry and more.

Moore said a “raffle row” gives attendees a chance to win some nice prizes without bidding in the live auction.

Tickets can be purchased and dropped in one prize box, or spread out among the offerings, which include original artwork by Steve Griffith of Conway.

Auction and Jeep raffle tickets are available at the St. Joseph Parish office, 1115 College Ave., (501) 327-6568; the St. Joseph Endowment office, 1315 College Ave., (501) 329-1818; or Model Cleaners locations in Conway. Raffle tickets are $2 each; 6 for $10; 18 for $20; or 100 for $100.

Hegeman said 100 percent of the bazaar’s proceeds “godirectly to the school.

“It’s absolutely critical for the long-term success of the school,” he said.

The event is about sustaining education, “but it’s also about community,” Hegeman said.

He said the support from Faulkner County has been invaluable.

“That’s exactly why the bazaar and the flea market have been so successful,” he said. “A significant portion of that support comes from nonparishioners and the community at large. That, to me, is what makes the tradition of the St. Joe Bazaar so special.”

Two of the biggest attractions at the midway, Hiegel said, are bingo and the hamand-bacon stand, where people spin to win - well, you know.

“It’s a main staple every year,” he said.

To bring in a taste of tradition for the centennial celebration, Hiegel said some favorite booths have been brought back to the midway.

One of the oldies but goodies is The Countr y Store, which has been gone for several years. It will include a stage where bands will play, including Dry Country, and festivalgoers can spin to win prizes. A duck pond for children to pick up rubber ducksand win prizes will be back this year, too. A petting zoo is new this year, and there will be a bounce house, a cake stand and more.

The bazaar will end with a drawing for the vehicle.

“You think about that Jeep; that’s come a long way from the old bales of cotton,” Hegeman said.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 55 on 07/26/2012

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