Moving Communities to Christ (MCC) Church will hold its fifth annual RISE Carnival and Car Show from Wednesday, Sept. 6, through Saturday, Sept. 9, from 5 to 10 p.m. at MCC's main campus in Elverson.

The family-friendly event will feature carnival rides, games and food. Admission and parking are free. Fireworks will be held at the carnival at dusk on Sept. 9.

The festival's car show will take place on Sept. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m., and it will feature live music along with a display of classic, modern and antique cars. Trophy categories for the car show will include Best Classic, Best Modern, Best Antique, Best In Show and People's Choice. Registration for the car show is free, but donations will be accepted. Preregistration is not required.

"Last year, we had about 40 cars," said Jenn Pallante, a member of the MCC Church events team. "We have volunteers from our church that judge. We also give out tickets, and for a donation, people can vote for the People's Choice trophy."

The amusement rides, including a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, will be set up on the church grounds. The amusement company will begin setup on Tuesday, Sept. 5. "You can (purchase) a wristband, which covers all the rides, or buy (individual) tickets," said Pallante, adding that tickets will be discounted on Sept. 6.

Food will be available for purchase throughout the event. "We do the burgers and hot dogs and grilled cheese," said Pallante, noting that the carnival company will sell other foods such as cotton candy, candy apples, funnel cake and corn dogs.

There will also be an opportunity to win gift baskets. The winners will be announced on Sept. 9; they need not be present to win.

A children's scavenger hunt will be held inside the building, and the church will provide information about its services and other activities that it offers.,

"The carnival is not a fundraiser for the church. It's more of an outreach for the community," Pallante noted. "If there is a profit, it goes to next year's carnival. I love that we do it; it's great and it's fun for the church to get involved in the community."

Event organizers said that the name of the event is part of the church's mission to have Christians "rise up" to serve people in the tricounty area who may be looking for a church to attend. Events team member Lynnette Hess noted that the event provides an opportunity for people who do not attend church to get to know the congregants.

"We come to church in jeans and do fun things," said Hess. "One of our core values is 'God's not boring and neither are we.' But we also understand that MCC is not the right fit for everyone, and we're ready to get people connected to a church that is right for them."

MCC is located at 4221 Main St. (Route 23), Elverson. For more information about the carnival, visit http://www.movingcommunitiestochrist.org and choose "2023 RISE Carnival & Car Show" on the home page.