For nearly 40 years, the 19th Ward Community Association has hosted candlelight dinners. This potluck event is about bringing together community — neighbors old and new — for an evening to celebrate one another.
This year, the dinners will be hosted on Feb. 7, and people can still sign up.
How the dinners work
There are two ways to participate in the 19th Ward dinners: as a host or guest.
The neighbors that open their doors as hosts cook up the main course, while others join as guests, bringing along appetizers, side dishes, desserts, drinks and more to share.
Before the big night, hosts inform their guests when to arrive, what to bring and where to go, and an evening of community, connection and home-cooked meals unfolds.
Each dinner has been unique. Some gatherings include young children. Other events have menus that are entirely vegan or vegetarian.
In the past, the dinners have had planned games, music, singing and discussions.
Last year, there were eight host homes with 61 people in attendance — including Democrat and Chronicle reporters Marili Vaca and Justice Marbury. Some neighbors provided rides to and from the host locations.
The event organizer, Carol Kramer, hopes to double the dinner participation this year and told the Democrat and Chronicle that it is headed in the right direction to do so.
How to go
To sign up as a host or guest, contact Kramer at (585) 749-1054 or cakramer355@gmail.com. When signing up, list any dietary restrictions or allergies and the number in your party (guests only).
This year there are confirmed vegan- and vegetarian-friendly hosts.
Sign-ups end on Jan. 28.
— As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard—the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester’s 19th Ward. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester 19th Ward candlelight potluck sign‑ups
Reporting by Justice Marbury, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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