2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Conestoga Christian School (CCS) chicken barbecue and auction, which will be held this year on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and 21. All proceeds will benefit the school, which offers classes for students in preschool through 12th grade.

The event will begin with the barbecue dinner on Oct. 20. Diners may purchase their chicken in a drive-through format from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or they may choose to dine in the school gymnasium from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. "We are bringing back the dine-in option. We have not had that since COVID," explained Michelle Parris, CCS admissions director. "A lot of our families are happy to be able to eat their barbecue meals together again." Dinners can also be taken out from the gymnasium.

Also on Oct. 20, a gift certificate store will be open outside the school, and then it will move inside to the gymnasium. There will also be homemade apple dumplings available for purchase.

After the barbecue, there will be a 50th anniversary celebration, with activities located behind the school. First up will be a student Powderpuff Football Championship, followed by an alumni soccer game.

"We are inviting our alumni back and the whole CCS community," said Caroline Greenly, who is the school's new events and marketing coordinator. "Our hope for Friday night is that it will be a homecoming feel. Our Student Council is doing a coffee tent with popcorn, cotton candy and other snacks. There will be cornhole and other games. We want people to come enjoy a time of being together."

A live auction will be held on Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. until the last item is sold. The auction will feature artwork and quilts, as well as jellies and jams and homemade yogurt donated each year by school families. Also up for bids will a fine dining experience, a Discovery Flight from Chester County Aviation, a photo package, an event at Flourish Flower Farm and a one-night stay at Fairville Inn, Chadds Ford.

In addition, each class at the school has designed a themed basket for the auction. Basket themes this year will include Family Road Trip, Coffee, Extreme Sports, Hunting, Freezer Filler and Date Night. Bidding on class baskets will start at 9:30 a.m.

Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, doughnuts, homemade yogurt, fruit and individual apple dumplings will also be offered for sale at the Cougar Cafe on Oct. 21. There will also be a Cougar Grounds coffee area offering hot coffee, cold brew, hot cider and hot chocolate.

An online auction will be offered as well. Bidding will start on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 8 a.m. and run through Sunday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. Online auction items will include handmade crafts, a pool table, a washer and dryer, meat packages, a piano, a new desk and household items. Bidders can visit http://tinyurl.com/CCSonline2023 for more details.

CCS is located at 2760 Main St. (Route 23), Morgantown. For complete details about the barbecue and auction and the anniversary events, visit http://www.conestogachristian.net/auction. Overflow parking and a shuttle service will be available at Conestoga Mennonite Church, which is located across the street from the school.