By Leeanne Seaver
Few things bring people together like a good old-fashioned covered-dish dinner. That’s the idea behind Vicksburg’s first community potluck set for 6 p.m. on Monday, July 14 at Oswalt Park. You read that right: pop-up potluck! It’s informal, it’s unsponsored, and it’s likely to be as filling as it is fun.
The shareable feast will be set up on the Park’s built-in tall table with accessible electrical outlets. On-site tables are available first-come, first-served, so feel free to bring your own portable dining set-up to guarantee your seat. You’ll also need your own silverware, plates, and social-district-allowable drinks. Everyone is welcome, even if you don’t bring food. Like most midwestern potlucks, there’s usually plenty to go around!
“Sharing a meal as a community is such a great way to see old friends and meet new ones,” said Gina Szpak, a Vicksburg Arts board member and “townie” who’s part of an informal group of local women encouraging “third places” in Vicksburg. “The potluck is an opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones in the community where we live,” Szpak explained. “We’re trying to create experiences that bring people together. That’s what third places are all about, having somewhere outside of home or work to connect as a community.”
Two more pop-up potlucks are scheduled: August 4 and September 22 in Oswalt Park. If the event proves popular, it could continue in the future. Nothing would have made Vicksburg maven Sue Moore happier. Moore had a vision for a shared meal that would draw folks to the center of town, bringing enough folding tables, chairs, potato salad, watermelon, and fried chicken to warrant closing off Prairie and Main Streets. Moore passed away in 2020, but her idea lives on. “We’re trying to facilitate ways for community members to cross paths and engage with each other to build stronger connections,” Szpak stressed.
For the inaugural July 14 meal, no RSVPs are required—just show up with your contribution and join in the food and fun. If it’s raining more than a drizzle, cancellation will be posted on the “Vicksburg Michigan Around the Village Facebook page”.
