A Fiesta for the Family

Tossing a Ping-Pong ball into a goldfish bowl takes just the right touch, as any carnival aficionado knows.

There will be ample opportunity to practice this precision sport, and many other carnival activities, this weekend at the 46th Annual Family Fiesta at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre.

Father Arthur Carrillo, the center’s director, promises rides, a kiddyland for the little ones, entertainment and plenty of food, including a pasta dinner Saturday for $2.

As for the games, there will be bingo Sunday only, from noon to 6 p.m.

And then there will be that goldfish thing.

For the uninitiated, the prize for landing a Ping-Pong ball in a bowl (much harder than it appears) is the goldfish inside, often a short-lived pet. But Carrillo swears that this will not be true of Mater Dolorosa goldfish.

“We’re picking them up from a pet supply that has given us many assurances of humane treatment,” he said. “He says his fish live. Margie, my secretary, says she’s had hers for three years.”

Festival hours at the center, 700 N. Sunnyside Ave., are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission and entertainment are free. There will be a modest fee for other activities, including the goldfish toss, which costs 50 cents for three balls.