Annual Thanksgiving Bazaar Celebrates 92nd Anniversary

A 92-year tradition continued in full force Thursday as more than a thousand people filed through for the annual Thanksgiving Bazaar in Elgin.

Hosted by the St. Boniface Parish in Elgin began, planning began in August. 

Early planning is necessary when you’re expecting to cook over 40 turkeys and serve over one thousand pieces of pie. 

Michele Reicks, a parishioner at St. Boniface, is an active part of organizing the Thanksgiving Bazaar, a tradition passed down from her parents. 

“One year we lived in the country and there was a blizzard so all of the town people all stayed, so we ended up serving almost as many because a lot of people couldn’t travel,” remembered Reicks. “Our family didn’t get in, but my mom insisted that her six pies get to town so my dad had to figure it out.”

Reicks said the bazaar was an important part of her thanksgiving traditions, and for many people it’s the most important part. 

“(For many people), maybe their own kids don’t come home because they’re with the other side of the family,” Reicks explained. “So many people would be alone otherwise so they come and enjoy the day with us and a lot of them send a note. We get notes from people who really appreciated having somewhere to go to make them feel like they’re part of something.”

The bazaar was started in 1925 as a small get-together for a potluck style dinner. 

It was open to the public with prices of 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. The bazaar has some staples which have been on the menu since the beginning, such as Mrs. Anna Schelnz’s special dressing and the sauerkraut and special sausages. 

In 2012, the bazaar went from two meals, a lunch and a dinner, to just one. Today, attendance is steady at just over 1,000 attendees every year.  Also, unlike previous years community members outside the parish now pitch in to help as well. 

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