My small parish-Vietnamese language- has always had crowds of kids for the 23 years I have been a member
ThanhPhero, not to be blasphemous, but... it’s interesting that next to this August, 4-day celebration of the Virgin Mary, is the May/June, 4-day Buddhist celebration of Ba Chua Xu (of Chau Doc).
Lots of Buddhist VN refugees visited Ba Chua Xu immediately before embarking on their ramshackle boats in the 70’s, and it’s the first place they visited (or will visit) on their return to VN. Also I know that some folks are trying to replicate the VN annual festival here in the U.S.
Anyway the similarity seems interesting in some ways. Also right after wifey got her immigration visa we I paid our thanks at the Chau Doc temple with offerings of a 30kg heo quay, flowers, incense, and plenty of ruou (I guess Ba like a nip). The place was very crowded, lots of VK doing the same as us.
http://www.tuanlinhtravel.com/Vietnam/BaChuaXuTemple.htm