Sausage Fest celebrates 40th anniversary in Richland

Sheila LaSalle was at Christ the King’s very first Sausage Fest.

She was a kid — Sheila Praino back then — and she had a lot of fun.

“It wasn’t nearly as big (in those days), but there was always that same spirit of community and celebration,” she said.

“It wasn’t like a school carnival. It was a community event,” said LaSalle, who’s now principal of Christ the King School. “It was clear it was going to continue being bigger and bigger.”

Sausage Fest now is one of the Tri-Cities’ most popular annual events. This year, it’s celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The festival includes 25 games, plus food booths, indoor and outdoor beer gardens, live entertainment, bingo, arts and crafts, a “Granny’s Attic” featuring yard sale items, as well as a farmers market.

It runs 5 p.m. to midnight Sept. 16 and 11 a.m. to midnight Sept. 17 at 1111 Stevens Drive, Richland.

Most of the food is grown or sourced locally, coming from within about 40 miles of the Tri-Cities, said Robin Wojtanik, publicity chairwoman.

The acts scheduled to perform range from Stompin’ Ground to VooDoo Alley, Eddie Manzanares, Diamond Ridge Cloggers and Sultana Dancers.

Sausage Fest raises money for the school, which has about 390 students in preschool through eighth-grade.

LaSalle came on board as principal this year after nearly three decades with the Kennewick School District. She attended the Catholic school as a child, and returning to the hallways is a special experience, she told the Herald.

“It feels like home. I’ve been spent many, many hours here, but it doesn’t feel like a job,” she said. “I’m taking care of my family, my home.”

In the same way, helping out with the Sausage Fest is special, too, she said.

She’s been attending for years. As her own kids were growing up, they attended, too.

“It’s inter-generational for a lot of families,” LaSalle said. “There’s really something for everybody.”

LaSalle said she sees Sausage Fest as a unifying event — one that brings together the parish, the school and the community each year.

“It’s not only a way of raising money for the school, but also a way for the school to share with the community who we are and what we can offer their children. It’s a way of inviting people in. The doors are unlocked and the community is invited in to see what we’re all about,” LaSalle said.

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Sausage Fest celebrates 40th anniversary in Richland."