Come to the Kraybill Mennonite School's annual benefit auction and fundraiser, and you can enjoy great deals on merchandise, sample tasty food and have family fun, all while supporting young learners.

The event will be held on Friday, May 9, from 4 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday, May 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school, 598 Kraybill Church Road, Mount Joy.

"This is a great opportunity to support today's students and to support growth, nurturing and development for our next generation," said Sarah Kain, administrative assistant for the school. "The auction provides a great opportunity to get a deal on some quality goods or experiences. Coming both days ups your chances of that deal! The food is also plentiful and delicious - baked goods, cheesesteaks on the Blackstone, pancake tacos, yum!"

Friday's festivities will begin with a preview of auction items and bidder number registration at 4 p.m. A pig roast dinner will be available for eat-in or takeout from 4 to 6:30 p.m. "The pig roast is first-come, first-served," Kain explained. "No preorders are available." The menu will include pulled pork, scalloped potatoes, coleslaw, applesauce and water.

A children's tent and activities on the soccer field will run from 4 to 9 p.m. The fun will include activity centers and games, a Mother's Day craft, an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house, face painting, a balloon artist, barrel train rides, a dunk tank and a human-powered hamster wheel. A family-friendly movie will be shown at 7 p.m. Also at 7 p.m., a seventh-grade vs. eighth-grade relay on the inflatable obstacle course will be held.

"The kids' activities are free except for the human-powered hamster wheel and the dunk tank," Kain shared.

At 5 p.m. on Friday, the auction will begin, featuring home decor and household goods, including gift baskets. At 6 p.m., class projects will be spotlighted in the auction.

"Eighth-graders have created individual projects, including items such as loaves of student-made artisan sourdough bread, a student-made macaroons package, student-made authentic dulce de leche cakes, a rustic wooden shelf, wooden cutting boards and more," Kain said. "Other class projects include items such as collected class T-shirts turned into a quilt, Lego baskets, a reading nook basket, a summer-themed cooler, cornhole boards, a baking basket and many more."

Friday's auction will also include a range of interactive experiences with Kraybill teachers.

"Teacher experiences may be a day at the park and ice cream treat with two teachers, a trip to the theater, mini golf and ice cream, a pool party with pizza and popsicles, pottery painting and lunch," Kain shared.

On Friday, a variety of food trucks will be on-site, and additional food items will include baked goods, Reist Popcorn and Gene Wenger's ham loaves.

Saturday's events will start with the Kraybill Meetinghouse Miles 5K. Registration will open at 6 a.m., and the race will begin at 7:30 a.m. Participants may register in advance or can sign up at the event on Saturday.

From 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., an all-you-can-eat breakfast will be served.

"Saturday's breakfast is open to the public, and vouchers are given to 5K runners to redeem after their run," Kain remarked. "Breakfast consists of pancake tacos, egg frittatas, fruit, sausage, Moravian sugar cake, juice, coffee and water."

An auction preview will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, followed by children's activities that will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday's auctions will begin at 9 a.m. and will include outdoor items at 10 a.m. and quilts at 11 a.m.

Outdoor food stands and food trucks will open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with the exception of the Mountain Mug Coffee trailer, which will open at 7:30 a.m., and the baked goods stand, which will open at 8 a.m.

A chicken barbecue will be available for eat-in or takeout from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Although advance purchase of tickets has already closed, a limited number of meals will be available for same-day purchase. The meals will include a half-chicken, a baked potato, a roll, applesauce and a York Peppermint Patty.

Kain noted that the auction, which is chaired this year by Elizabeth Heisey, provides essential fundraising for the school.

"All proceeds from the auction go directly to the school's general fund, directly affecting families by keeping tuition low and enriching the learning experience for students," she said.

Kraybill Mennonite School is open to students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. The school is celebrating its 75th anniversary this school year.

For more information on the auction, visit https://kraybillauction.com.