The Fest Is Here: Come Celebrate, Serve, and Share Christ at SJE Fest 2026

SJE
2 days ago
3 min read

More than a summer festival, SJE Fest is an opportunity to encounter joy, build community, support our parish mission, and become disciples who make disciples.

Best family fest in Northwest Indiana

The tents are up. The rides are arriving. The aroma of festival food will soon fill the summer air. There is an unmistakable excitement that settles over our parish grounds every July, and that can only mean one thing:

SJE Fest is here!

For many families, SJE Fest is a beloved summer tradition filled with laughter, music, games, food, and fellowship. But for us at St. John the Evangelist Parish, it is also something much deeper. It is a beautiful expression of who we are as a Catholic community: a parish family committed to loving God, loving others, serving the poor, and being disciples who make disciples.

As our volunteers put the finishing touches on another incredible festival, now is the perfect time to prepare your own schedule and your heart.

Have you checked out the entertainment lineup, planned your favorite food stops and purchased your Big Ticket raffle tickets? Whether you’ve signed up to volunteer or not, have you considered who God may place in your path during these four extraordinary days?

Because while SJE Fest is certainly about fun, it is also about mission.

A Festival with a Purpose

Every smiling face, every volunteer shift, every purchased ticket, and every conversation contributes to something far greater than a weekend celebration.

More than $140,000 in annual festival proceeds support the mission of SJE Parish and School through projects and improvements identified by parish leadership and our finance council. Past festival proceeds have helped fund major parish initiatives, including building maintenance projects, parking lot improvements, repairs and maintenance to our beloved Day Chapel, and ongoing investments necessary to support the growing needs of our nationally recognized Catholic school.

When you participate in SJE Fest, you are not simply attending an event. You are investing in Catholic education, parish ministries, evangelization, worship, and the future of our community.

Be Disciples Who Make Disciples—Even at the Fest

What if this year's festival became an opportunity to live your mission as Christ’s disciple in a simple but powerful way?

Perhaps it means introducing yourself to someone standing next to you in line.

Perhaps it means inviting a friend to talk with our one and only Josh Shultz. He will be hosting “Alpha & A beer.” Parish partners will explain what Alpha is and talk about their faith for about 15 minutes—then give out a ticket for a free alcoholic beverage. We know the Holy Spirit often works through ordinary moments.

Perhaps it means welcoming a visitor who has never stepped foot on our campus before.

Every year, thousands of people walk through our festival grounds. For some, this may be their first encounter with our parish community. Your smile, your hospitality, your invitation, and your witness may become the first step in someone's journey toward Christ.

A Beautiful Witness Along Indianapolis Boulevard

As visitors enter our campus, many notice the small, beautiful wooden chapel located along Indianapolis Boulevard.

That little chapel contains the greatest treasure on earth: the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament through our perpetual Eucharistic Adoration chapel.

Imagine the witness we could offer if parish partners paused briefly to genuflect or reverently make the Sign of the Cross as they passed by. What a beautiful testimony to our faith that would be.

And if someone asks about that charming chapel, tell them: that Jesus is truly present there and that all are welcome.

Don't Forget the Big Ticket Raffle

One of the easiest ways to support our parish mission is by participating in the annual Big Ticket raffle.

Tickets are just $10 each or 12 tickets for $100, and every ticket purchased helps support the mission and ministries of St. John the Evangelist Parish and School.

And yes—you could win big.

First Prize: $10,000

Second Prize: $2,000

Third Prize: $1,000

Fourth Prize: $500

Fifth Prize: $250

All raffle tickets must be in the drum before 9PM on Sunday, July 12, 2026, because that is when the drawing is!

Questions about the Big Ticket raffle may be directed to Jenn Laurenti at BigTicket@stjohnparish.org or by phone at (708) 595-9010.

Come for the food. Stay for the fellowship. Leave inspired by Christ.

You are participating in something far greater than a festival. You are helping build a vibrant Catholic community and you are sharing the joy of the Gospel. You are becoming exactly who Christ calls you to be: A disciple who makes disciples!