International Festival
Saturday, September 2 – Monday, September 4
International Festival Day
Monday, September 4: 12 – 4pm
Join us for a day of fun featuring children’s games and rides, Bingo, the Pub, Food Trucks, and more! Net proceeds from the International Festival fund the Shepherd’s Gate Grants. See below for all of our events including the online raffle, 5K, Yard Sale, and more!
Online Raffle
Our online raffle is live! This year, our goal is $25,000. We will have a $3,500, $2,000, $1,000, and three $500 prizes!
Last year we raised $20,000 for grants being awarded to 6 different organizations:
- Carpenter’s Shelter
- Centreville Immigration Forum
- Culmore Clinic
- Guadalupe Free Clinic of Colonial Beach, Inc.
- Mother of Light Center
- Rising Hope United Methodist Church
Click here to learn more about these organizations and the important work they do!
5K or 1 mile Fun Run
Saturday, September 2
Join Father Tom as we run (or walk!) for charity. The Mile begins at 8am and the 5K begins at 8:30am.
Yard Sale
Saturday, September 2: 8am – 1pm*
*8 – 9am: Early Bird Special ($10)
Donations accepted Saturday, August 19 – Tuesday, August 29
Cleaning out closets and sheds this summer? Save usable, clean, good quality household goods, toys, purses, sports equipment, jewelry, and more.
Blood Drive
Saturday, September 2: 8am – 12pm
Give the gift of life by donating blood!
Multicultural Mass
All Masses on September 2 – 3
We invite individuals or families to process and take part in the Presentation of the Gifts, dressed in your native costume or colors that represent your country. There can be a variety of costumes processing.
Volunteer at the International Festival
Click on the links below to sign up for the different volunteer opportunities! Thank you for supporting the International Festival!
- 5K: Volunteers register runners and help throughout the race course.
- Bingo: Volunteers will be bingo callers, assist bingo players, and sell bingo cards.
- Blood Drive: Volunteers work the INOVA Blood Drive registration table and greet and check in donors.
- Care for Creation: Assist the Care for Creation team to encourage people to properly recycle and use food compost bins.
- Children’s Games: Volunteers run games with PreK festival goers.
- Children’s Rides: Volunteers help kids on outdoor rides.
- First Aid: Doctors or nurses are needed to assist festival goers with minor medical needs.
- Grounds: Volunteers walk the grounds and pick up trash and empty trash cans.
- Hispanic Food Booth: Setup and volunteer at the Hispanic Food Booth.
- Information Booth/Volunteer Check-in: Volunteers are needed to staff the information booth and check in all festival volunteers.
- Pub: Volunteers must be 21 years or older.
- Raffle: Volunteers help sell raffle tickets during the festival.
- Set up/Take Down: Volunteers help carry and set up tables and chairs and other miscellaneous tasks. After the festival, volunteers are needed to load tables and chairs. Bring work gloves if you have them.
- Traffic: Volunteers help with traffic flow in and out of the Good Shepherd parking lot.
- Yard Sale Sorting and Tagging: Saturday, August 19 – Tuesday, August 29, 9:30am – 4pm to help sort and tag donations. No need to sign up ahead of time. (Note: the first week of tagging, volunteers typically finish by 1pm. Call the Good Shepherd front office if coming after 1pm to make sure volunteers are still needed that day.)
- Yard Sale Donation Collection: Volunteers help parishioners unload donations for the yard sale.
- Yard Sale Set up: Volunteers help place donated items in Creedon Hall.
- Yard Sale: Volunteers are needed as cashiers, to work at the jewelry counter, and clean up later
Email festival@gs-cc.org with any questions!
2023 Community Partners for the International Festival