TEXAS CITY — The pumpkins have arrived at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, marking the return of the church’s annual pumpkin patch and the beginning of a month of fall activities for the community.
Members of the Texas City High School baseball team joined Texas City High School JROTC members and other community volunteers Thursday to help unload and organize the pumpkins ahead of the patch’s opening.
Texas City High School head baseball coach Tyler Iguess said the event is part of an effort to have his players become more involved in the community.
“We just wanted to give back to the community,” Iguess said. “We’re trying to make an emphasis this season on giving back to the city of Texas City, Galveston County.”
The players helped unload the pumpkins, sort them by size and color and prepare the grounds, including spreading hay around the pumpkin patch.
Iguess said the event is the baseball team’s first community service project of the fall, with several more planned for the semester.
“We have three to four coming up for the fall semester,” Iguess said. “So this is a good starting point.”
The volunteer work also gives the players an opportunity to build team camaraderie outside of baseball.
“They’re having fun doing it and they’re doing it for a good purpose as well,” Iguess said.
The pumpkin patch opens Friday, Oct. 2, and will operate throughout October. Organizers have planned several special events during the month, including themed nights and activities for veterans, grandparents and pets.
The church’s annual Fall Festival will take place Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s theme is “One Parish, One Community.”
The festival will feature more than 85 craft vendors, a kids zone, games, live and silent auctions, entertainment and a variety of food.
Food offerings will include a barbecue dinner with chicken, sausage, potato salad, beans and dessert, along with street tacos, chalupas, tostadas, roasted corn, pupusas, hamburgers and hot dogs.
The live auction will include 23 items, organizers said, including Texans and Astros tickets, signed sports memorabilia, hunting and fishing trips, Galveston stays and a Fredericksburg trip with wine tasting.
Organizers said the festival has been a tradition at St. Mary’s for decades and has grown into one of the church’s largest annual community events.
Father Clint Ressler said the event brings together parishioners, volunteers and families from throughout Texas City and Galveston County.
“It draws everybody together in a common endeavor to put on this great festival,” Ressler said.
The festival ministry began organizing this year’s event in February and includes more than 46 volunteers from the church and the surrounding community.
St. Mary’s organizers said the goal is to provide an opportunity for families to enjoy the fall season while bringing together the parish and the broader community.
The pumpkin patch will remain open through Oct. 31, while the Fall Festival will take place Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Texas City.
