Exeter Community Festival Today

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Exeter will hold its first annual “ComFest” Community Festival today featuring games for children, food, live music, and more.

It will be held on Lincoln Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit St. Vincent's Community Assistance Center, which provides services to the five SAU 16 communities such as a food pantry, advocacy for people in crisis, employment assistance and a multitude of health and humanitarian agency referrals.

A day family fun is planned and live entertainment will take place throughout the festival. There will be musical performances by 2012 Seacoast Idol Winner, Kat Murphy; Piscataqua River Brass; Slyvan Roots; Leo Ganley & Friends; Party Time DJ; Seacoast Karaoke & DJ Services and activities that include Kuddles the Clown, Magic by Anderson, face painting, a Bounce-House provided by AirZone and a Pet Costume Contest hosted by The Pet Pantry and Party People, located on Lincoln Street.

There will be raffle items and food, from hamburgers and hot dogs to a clam bake, plus items offered by .

Cleo Castonguay, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Community Assistance Center, said, “Not only is the event to be an old fashioned good time, it will also serve as a fund-raiser for the food pantry.

"The Community Assistance Center runs entirely on donations. It costs approximately $2,500 a week to operate the new facility. Since the food pantry moved last November into its new location at 53 Lincoln Street, the food pantry’s usage has increased by 27 percent due to the increase in need among the community. “

The event is free to the public with costs only for raffle and food items. Please note that the Lobster/Clam Bake will be served between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. only.

About St. Vincent de Paul Society of Exeter, NH:

The St. Vincent de Paul Society-Exeter NH Conference provides many forms of assistance – food, financial, emotional – in a prayerful spirit of Christian love and justice for those individuals and families most in need.

The Conference has no paid staff. Thus, all its services and activities are freely offered through the dedication of its volunteers. Volunteers come from many walks of life. Some are parishioners of St. Michael’s Parish in Exeter, some are not. We are ecumenical when it comes to helping people who are less fortunate.