St. Gabriel Catholic Church Festival

Take the fun and fellowship of a parish fete and add a charming historic neighborhood as its setting and you begin to understand the appeal of the St. Gabriel festival. All your favorites are here (corn on the cob, funnel cakes, duck pond, ring toss—it’s a church festival, after all) with a few added touches of adorableness. Exhibit A: The Sunday pig roast, put on by Hammann’s Catering, a relatively new tradition that attracts people from far and wide; you can even pick up carryout starting at 1 p.m. if you’re just passing through. Exhibit B: a dunking booth, where church dads place themselves at the mercy of ruthless little pitchers. And to the spinning chair and Round-Up they add the holy grail of festival fun: pony rides! All of this is an engraved invitation to cool your jets, unplug, and enjoy some simple summer magic. As your night winds down, take a hot dog to go and walk it off around the Village of Glendale, with its gaslight streets, stately Civil War–era homes, tree-lined avenues, and one darn cute railroad depot. 48 W. Sharon Rd., Glendale, gabrielglendale.org