When organizers of the Bowmansville Community Family Fun Day gathered recently to discuss the fourth free family event they will hold in the park this year, a conversation about which activity children enjoy the most at the daylong event broke out.

"The pony rides are the main attraction for the kids," said Rick Ringler, event chair and a member of Bowmansville Mennonite Church (BMC). "They just love that."

"Then there's the bounce house," added Tony Witmer, lead pastor with BMC.

"I don't know," chimed in Phil Shober, pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ (UCC). "That tractor ride - they love that too."

All those activities and more will be offered when BMC, St. Paul's UCC, and St. John's Center Church UCC of East Earl, hold the annual Bowmansville Community Family Fun Day in the park on Saturday, June 8. The event will be held in the Bowmansville Park, located between Church Street and Maple Grove Road, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free food, games, and live music will all be part of the event. The event will be held rain or shine.

"We started it right after COVID-19 (restrictions were lifted) to get the families back out and give them a free event to come to that was put on by the churches," explained Ringler.

"(The idea is to) build the connection between the community and the churches," added Witmer.

Additional activities will include face painting, pony rides, barrel train rides, fire engine rides, and horse-drawn covered wagon rides.

Free food will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Past events have featured options such as hot dogs, french fries, meatball sandwiches, and cotton candy.

According to Shober, live music, which will feature three local praise bands, will be played from 5 to 8 p.m. in the band shell. Featured bands will be Starts with a J, Grace House Blessings, and Flowing Waters Band.

On Sunday, June 9, at 10 a.m., a church service will be held under the tent in the park. During the service, a freewill offering will be received to benefit CrossNet Ministries and the Northeastern Lancaster County Food Bank.

"It's all free," noted Shober.

"We want to keep it free," added Ringler. "There are not a lot of places you can go that you don't have to pay."