NATCHEZ — With 161 years of practice, the Cathedral Fall Festival is a smooth running machine.

That machine will get cranked up for the 162nd time Saturday and Sunday.

“We have a committee for everything, and everyone has been hard at work to make this year a success,” said Emily White, event chairman. “There should be something for everyone to enjoy at some point during the weekend.

Cathedral Fall Festival is a fundraiser sponsored and organized by Cathedral School to raise money for the school.

The event is the school’s largest fundraiser and one of only two large scale fundraisers the school does all year.

“This is by far the biggest thing we do all year,” White said. “It is very much a family tradition, a school tradition and a community tradition.

“The money we raise goes to further the mission of our school in educating our children.”

Events kicked off several weeks ago with a golf tournament and tennis tournament, but the main event begins Saturday.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, there will be games, a cake walk, a dunking booth, slime making, art projects along with a food sale that includes made-from-scratch cakes, casseroles and homemade candy.

The fun continues from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

A booth will be set up to do hair wraps that are popular on beach vacations. The hair wrap station is just one of several new happenings at this year’s event.

“We are having a dunking booth and a pie-in-the face booth where people will have the chance to dunk or throw a pie at a Cathedral teacher,” White said. “We have teachers from the elementary school, middle school and even some from the high school.”

Each teacher will man the station in 30-minute shifts on Saturday and Sunday. The teacher who raises the most money during their shift in the dunking booth or pie chair will win a $25 gift certificate.

Adults will get in on the action Saturday night with the popular dinner and paddle wheel night. Rib and gumbo plates will be available for pick up from 3 to 6 p.m. at Center Drive. Dinner inside the cafeteria begins at 6 p.m. with the paddle wheel auction starting at 7.

“We have a package for everyone,” White said. “We have an ultimate outdoor kitchen, a trip to Mexico, a great room makeover. And of course we have themed packages for men, women, teens, tweens and kids.”

Raffle items this year include a large-screen television, laptop computer, Vera Bradley luggage, cash, gas and a Bad Boy Buggy.

The Bad Boy Buggy winner will be drawn Saturday night, and all other raffle winners will be drawn Sunday.

“Saturday night and the Sunday turkey dinner are huge for us,” White said. “The adults really get into those events.”

Turkey dinners are served on a first come, first served basis beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday. Curbside pick up is available starting at 11 a.m. as well.

White said with all the events scheduled, the community and school step up each year to make the fall festival a success.

“We couldn’t do it without the community pitching in,” she said. “It really takes everyone at the school and more to make it run so smoothly.”