When Janet Ann Colardo went to the St. Rocco’s Feast in the summer of 1974, she had no idea how that night would change her life. She went down to the fairgrounds with her best friend, dressed to the nines in a halter-top, bell-bottom jeans and big shoes.

“In the ’70s, the Feast was a great way to meet boys,” she said. “You would walk around the entire back of St. Rocco’s trying to get attention from the cute guys that would also be walking around looking for cute girls. It was fun.”

When a pair of boys approached the girls, Colardo was disinterested but talked to one of the young men so her friend could flirt with the other.

“The one who seemed to like me tried his hardest to impress me. However, I was not impressed,” she said.

Paul Colardo Jr. spent $20 trying to win a beta fish with no success. The man running the booth took pity on him and gave him the fish anyway, which he handed over to Janet. He asked for her phone number, but she didn’t want to give it to him. When Paul persisted, Janet gave it to him verbally, thinking he would never remember it.

He did, and they ended up going on a double date. The rest is history.

“To make a long story short, we were married at St. Rocco’s Church on April 16, 1977. We have been married for 35 years with three sons and two grandchildren,” Janet said. “I can say St. Rocco’s Feast and Festival and the church have truly been an intricate part of our lives.”