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'The Greatest Festival in Town' celebrates its 104th year

Posted at 7:24 AM, Aug 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-02 08:24:03-04

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — St. Peter and Paul Church was able to welcome hundreds of people back to its annual festival, The Greatest Festival in Town, after missing out for the first time in its history in 2020.

“We missed out last year, and so did the community," festival booth captain Pam Galvan said. "Everybody wanted to come to St. Peter and Paul, so we’re just very blessed and thankful that we are here today.”

“Our festival was really paired down to just be a takeout event featuring all of our famous ethnic foods," festival chair Leann Stolternberg-Torres said. "It’s so great to have everybody back and all the booths back this year.”

Over a century's worth of history runs extremely deep in both the church and the festival.

“A lot of history behind it, a lot of history behind the church,” Galvan said.

“We’ve been members with the church since I was born,” church member Patty Svoboda said.

The Greatest Festival in Town started in 1917, the same year the parish was founded. Svoboda's grandfather was one of those original members.

“I’m just so happy to see that it keeps going,” Svoboda said.

The eight-hour day of fun is filled with live music, games, drinks, and food. All for the entire community to enjoy, and centered around the history and culture of the parish.

“The music and the food reflect the diversity of our parish,” Stolternberg-Torres said.

An event that has lasted the test of time; and has no plans of slowing down.

“Everybody here works so hard and puts so much into what they’re doing," Svoboda said. "It’s amazing that it still goes on.”