Try These Catholic Church Events to Attract New Visitors

October 1, 2026

A man playing guitar at a church outreach event.

If you’re looking for evangelization ideas or ways to attract new people to your parish or to the Catholic faith as a whole, this article is for you! We collected nine events your church could host to attract visitors and/or make your parish visible to new people. Psst — we’ve even included an entire section on how to market your church events because, if you work at a church, you know that marketing is half the battle!

How to Attract Visitors to Your Parish Event Ideas

If you love these ideas and are looking for even more event ideas for your Catholic parish, head over to our collection of 76 church event ideas your parishioners will love.

International Food Festival
Invite parishioners to host a booth with their favorite cultural or family meals. Often, having different booths for different cultures’ foods is a great way to go about it.
Invite your parish and those in surrounding neighborhoods to buy a ticket to the food festival.
Add live music, dancing, artwork, storytelling, or other cultural traditions. Be sure to include family-friendly activities like crafts and kid games!
Recipe Book
Collect recipes submitted by parishioners or community members and compile them into a physical book.
Don’t just publish the recipes — ask contributors to include the stories and traditions behind the recipes, to bring a storytelling aspect to it.
Sell the cookbook throughout the year, rather than limiting it to a single event or fundraiser. You can even make it available on your parish website as a digital asset!
Community Choir Collaboration / Concert
Partner the church choir with other local choirs.
Include nontraditional community choirs or groups outside the church.
Put on a performance, advertising to all those who are patrons of all choirs involved.
Art Class / Experience
Host an evening art class at the church.
This could be organized as a social event rather than a formal class, if wanted.
You don’t necessarily need to hire a teacher. Instead, ask the congregation — you might learn that someone has a hidden talent!
Theme ideas could include a “Sober Sip & Paint” or a “draw each other” date night. “Learn to Watercolor” or other beginner and introductory classes also work great.
Advertise at local schools and community centers!
Oktoberfest
Host a fall Oktoberfest celebration that attracts both parishioners and the wider community.
This is the type of event that, when open to the public, attracts non-Catholics regularly.
Invite local breweries to showcase their beers.
Have dancing and scheduled appearances by local musicians, dance troupes, theater acts, and more!
To attract as many visitors as possible, advertise on social media, in local newsletters and your local newspaper, and even on local radio stations!
“Your Church After Dark” / Spooky Church History Night
October event held inside a darkened church hall. Bonus if your parish is historic and has a cool, old basement.
Tell "spooky" SAINT stories that can wow and inspire. For example, the story of St. Denis, St. Sebastian, and St. Christina the Astonishing.
Historic features such as stained glass and rooms containing old statues could add to the atmosphere.
Consider partnering with a local restaurant for some delicious food, adding that aspect to your advertisement.
If there's a parish cemetery, include a few stories of parishioners from the past (these don’t have to be “spooky”).
Have your presenter brush up on questions about ghosts just in case questions come up.
Neighborhood Cleanup
Give parishioners and neighbors an opportunity to gather to clean up the surrounding community.
This creates an accessible service opportunity centered on the neighborhood that is great for youth who might need service hours and families who want a community project to do together.
Have everyone gather at the parish first for coffee and doughnuts, then group people together for different assignments.
Advertise with neighborhood mailers, in youth ministry sessions, local schools, and on your parish social media!
Back-to-School Coffee Stand
Suggested specifically for churches located near a school or along a common walking route.
Set up a coffee & treats stand during the first week back to school.
Offer coffee to parents as they walk their children to school and when returning home.
Advertise with a banner and posters on your parish grounds. You might also partner with the school to send a note out in their parent emails about the opportunity to get a free coffee and snacks at your parish during back-to-school week!
Learn to Cook a Signature Dish with Grandma / Grandpa Class
A cooking class open to the public featuring a parish elder who teaches the class to cook a cultural dish.
Can be a “watch and learn” type of class or a firsthand “follow along” class depending on your space and resources.
Even better if participants can eat the dish at the end or have food to take home with them.
Advertise in your parish bulletin, in local newsletters, or through local community centers.
Summer Outdoor Concerts
Host an outdoor concert or multiple concerts during the summer on parish grounds.
This could potentially feature church musicians, local performers, community groups, or collaborative choirs.
Be sure to have snacks and beverages for sale.
Send mailers to your local neighborhoods to advertise and make sure the concert series is featured in local publications like your community’s free newspaper, library newsletter, etc.

How to Advertise Your Church Events to Get the Most Participation

How you advertise your upcoming event is often just as important as how well you execute the event itself. After all, if nobody knows about your event, how will they know to attend or participate? It’s no wonder companies spend so much time and money on marketing — and churches are no exception.

Marketing Checklist for Parish Events

Here is a checklist of ways that can help you market your next parish event to both parishioners and the wider, local community:

Always start with your parish bulletin. A bulletin insert is a great option, too!
Advertise on the homepage of your parish website. Make sure your banner or image is clickable and goes to a landing page specifically for the event. On the landing page, include event details and any sign-up information.
Post a link to your event flyer or event landing page on your parish social media. You might even consider boosting a post or running a META ad that targets your zip code and certain demographics you think might be interested in the event!
Print flyers or banners to hang at your parish or in other local establishments. Don’t forget to include a QR code on the flyer that links to your website’s landing page for the event. (We have a great guide on how to make flyer designs that work that you can find over on our blog!).
Send flyers home with faith formation youth/families.
Add links to digital flyers in parish emails or on your website.
Post flyers in your parish office, bulletin board, narthex, or place them in the pews for people to see.
Include flyers in any mailers you may be sending out.
Announce the event at every Mass for at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
Send out postcards to your neighbors using Every Door Direct Mail.

Don’t be afraid to spend a little money to advertise your event! It’s often necessary to have a budget, especially if you choose direct mail or a paid social media ad.

Let LPi Help You Advertise Your Church Event

Lastly, another effective way to advertise your parish event is to partner with a community publication, like a senior center or library, with a monthly newsletter. Placing your flyer or a smaller ad in a community publication will ensure lots of people outside your usual parishioners see it!

If you are already publishing your bulletin with LPi, your rep can help you find local LPi publications to advertise in. All you need to do is get in touch, and we’ll make placing an ad in community publications in your area a breeze.

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