KANOPOLIS — Tradition, good food and good times with family and friends are what the annual St. Ignatius of Loyola Fiesta, celebrated by the St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Kanopolis, is all about.

This year’s festival is Saturday, Aug. 31, at the church.

Bonnie Orozco, one of the organizers of the fiesta, said she is looking forward to it, but there’s a lot of work and preparation that takes place before the day of the fiesta.

“It’s always a good day to visit with everyone,” she said. “There are a lot of people that have connections with our parish, and so they look forward to coming back and just reconnecting with everyone. That’s a good thing.”

Orozco said the funds raised during the fiesta generally go to support St. Ignatius parish and improvements, as well as donations to other charitable causes. “This is the one fundraiser that we have, primarily, for our church,” she said. “All the funds go to help support the parish, make improvements and then we donate to charitable organizations as we see that need.”

Raffle tickets can be purchased now from any parishioner or at Orozco’s Portales in downtown Kanopolis. Orozco said this is one of the largest parts of the fiesta fundraising.

The fiesta raffle prize winners will be announced at the end of bingo around 9 p.m.

Orozco said kids’ games with prizes will be available outside after Mass. Games this year include the popular fish pond and dart throw.

“Our bishop, Bishop Jerry Vincke, has a soft spot for our fiesta,” Orozco said. “I think he’s planning to come out and be with us this year.”

Mexican food will be served both outside and in the church basement from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., then resume at 4 p.m. after Mass. Serving will continue until the food is gone.

Orozco said 120 dozen tamales were made this year.

“About half of those are sold in a pre-sale,” she said, “so if you want tamales, come early on Saturday and get your name on the pre-sale list.”

Orozco said almost 100 pounds of beans have been sorted and cleaned to cook. In addition, 65-70 pounds of ground beef will be cooked for taco and tostada meet.

This year’s menu includes tacos, tostadas and tamales served both downstairs and outside, and beef enchiladas served downstairs only. Carry-out will be available.

Jesse Orozco and Gabe Orozco will have their hamburger stand, and the pie and ice cream window, another fiesta favorite, will be open. Pop and iced tea will be sold both outside and downstairs.

This year, the process of ordering Mexican food in the church basement is being streamlined to make things simpler and easier for the ladies in the kitchen serving the food.

Orozco said a ticket system is being implemented. The tickets will be located at a table manned by Orozco near the kitchen.

“I’m hoping that all that goes well,” she said.

A Rosary will be said at around 3-3:30 p.m., followed by Mass at 4 p.m. Bingo will start at 5:15 p.m. outside after Mass. Downstairs, raffle tickets will be sold in addition to the food and drink sales. Food will be sold until they sell out.

The familiar country store will also be open on church grounds during the fiesta as well.

Orozco said she is hoping for a big crowd at the event.

“We look forward to seeing lots of people,” she said. “We hope people will come out, support the parish, buy a raffle ticket, buy some food. We hope that God is looking favorably on us with good weather, because that makes a difference.”

The fiesta has become a tradition in Kanopolis since it began in the late 1940s. Orozco and her crew follow in the footsteps of those seasoned veterans who have been involved in organizing the fiesta and overseeing the cooking for many years, such as Tomasa “Tommie” Cisneros and Alberta “Bert” Rojas.

All have one thing in common — they carry on that tradition while encouraging the younger generation to volunteer their time to get involved and keep the fiesta alive in the future.

The fiesta honors the history and heritage of St. Ignatius Loyola Church. When Kanopolis was settled, its earliest residents were a diverse lot of French, Hispanic, Italian, German and Bohemian descent. Before a Catholic church was established at Kanopolis, settlers would travel on foot or by train to Ellsworth for Mass. Every fifth Sunday of the month, the priest would come to Kanopolis for Mass. Eventually, Mass was offered and religious education was provided in the homes of the Kanopolis parishioners.

One summer, the Rev. Ignatius Manzo, a young seminarian, came to teach classes. Following his ordination, he continued his work at Kanopolis, which was becoming a growing Catholic community. Seeing the need for funds, Manzo suggested they sell Mexican food as well as feature games.

Eventually, a drawing was added. Years later, the annual fiesta continues to be the church’s largest fundraiser.

For more information on the fiesta, look for the flyer at local businesses and watch for posts on the St. Bernard, St. Ignatius and St. Joseph Catholic Parishes Facebook page.