AUBURN — The 15th annual Holiday Festival at Saint Dominic Academy saw the campus flooded with students, parents and community members on Saturday kicking off the holiday season.

An inflatable Santa Claus watched over the parking lot filled with cars and the overflow spilled out on the sides of the road leading further into campus. Vendors set up shop in the gymnasium, displaying their crafts — coasters, dishtowels, jewelry and clothes — on folding tables.

Students could be seen setting up with the vendors or running the stands themselves. They also helped organize the raffle run by the All Saints Booster Club, which is involved in clubs and athletics for all ages at Saint Dominic’s.

Last year’s festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but the vendors were still allowed to sell online. This year, they have made a point not to take the camaraderie for granted.

For Michelle Morse, this was her first official year selling at the festival.

“I think it’s great. They’ve been playing Christmas music and it’s just so fun,” she said. “Last year, we did online remote selling, which was great that they tried to do that, but there’s nothing like being at an actual craft fair.”

Morse, 44, is an auditor at Norway Savings Bank. She has been making jewelry for over 10 years in her spare time, all by hand.

“There’s not a lot of creativity in audit, so I gotta get it out somewhere,” she said.

The festival is closely associated with Saint Dominic’s, particularly in its current incarnation. The school was founded in Lewiston in 1941, then moved to Auburn in 2000. The cheer of the holidays was palpable amongst the attendees, whose greetings to one another dulled the loud Christmas songs echoing through the room. The event brought together many alumni and parents of current students and many who were both, continuing a tradition of support for a vital resource within the community. 

“I graduated from St. Dom’s and my kids are fourth generation students,” said Sean Andrews, an alumni of the

Lewiston campus and father of three daughters. “It’s a good opportunity for them to volunteer and to give back to the school and the community.” 

Corrie Bernatchez, 30, had owned a Main Street ice cream shop called Top It Frozen Dessert Bar, which closed in January due to the pandemic. Since then, she has been working events like this, operating under the same name. This is Bernatchez’s fourth year working the festival, with her stand in the back of the gymnasium, sprinkled by children around it. 

“It’s going well. It’s nice to see a (big) crowd,” said the Auburn native, who has embraced the new direction her business has taken. “Obviously, there’s a lot less overhead, but it’s nice being out in the community and getting to work at different events like this.”

Jeff Carleton, 48, a Lewiston resident originally from Bangor, attended the festival for the tenth time. His son, Ben, 8, is a student at Saint Dominic’s and waited in line with him for a treat.

“We came to get some ice cream and to play some raffles,” he said, something he has been doing since before his son enrolled, becoming the first in his family to attend. 

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