Potlucks

2nd Friday Potlucks are back!

Each month we gather to welcome new and existing members of our community.  We invite everyone to come out to meet new friends and enjoy the company of old friends.  You do not need to be a paid OPALGA+ member to attend one of our potlucks.

***Please remember being fully vaccinated is a requirement to attend the potluck***

 

The May OPALGA+ Potluck will be on Friday, June 9 from 7-10 pm at 112 Elgin Avenue, Forest Park hosted by Rick Wagner and John Sahli.  Potlucks are BYOB drinks and a dish to share. All are welcome–members, guests, straight allies, etc.  The more the merrier!  See you on June 9th.

Save the date for our future Friday potlucks in 2023:

  • July 14 – 1145 S East Ave, Oak Park hosted by Bob Stoner and Steve Haught
  • August 11 – 1844 N Nagle Ave, Chicago hosted by Bob Personett and Alan Hommerding
  • September 8 – 220 Franklin Ave, River Forest hosted by Kendall Alexander, Dianet Giraldo and Robert Baker
  • October 14 (Saturday) – 528 Wesley Ave, Oak Park hosted by Kelly Soprych
  • November 10 – 639 Fair Oaks Ave, Oak Park hosted by Ron Roman and Doug Cotsamire
  • December 8 – 605 Iowa St, Oak Park hosted by Paul Loux and Brad Craig

A special thanks to 2022 hosts Mary Anne Mohanraj and Kevin Whyte who hosted OPALGA+ in April 2022;  Kelly Soprych who hosted in May and again in September 2022; Ron Roman and Doug Cotsamire who hosted in June; and Rick Wagner and John Sahl who opened their garden to us in July; Bob Personett and Alan Hommerding who collected school supplies in August at their house; John Becvar and Jim Walsh who hosted outside in October; Paul Loux and Brad Craig in November; and Janice Marin and Bailey Abbe in December.

In 2023, we thank Cheryl Knecht for hosting February at the School House Kitchen & Studio in River Forest; and Richard Marritt and Steve Oldham who hosted in their Frank Lloyd Wright home in Riverside in March; Sarah Corbin who hosted in April and Mary Anne Mohanraj family who hosted in May 2023.

Interested in hosting?

  1. Expect anywhere from 25-50 guests.  A greeter will welcome guests to your home and give them a name tag. They will need a spot to sit at the entrance. It will be helpful if you have a small table. The greeter will tell the guests where to hang coats, place savory dishes, place desserts and place their beverages.
  2. If possible, we ask that you have separate tables for savory dishes and desserts. Please protect your tables with a tablecloth, hot pads, etc. Beverages are usually on kitchen counters so that sweating cold drinks don’t damage a wooden table.
  3. As hosts we ask that you provide:
    a. 50 sturdy disposable plates for main dishes. Please do not use foam plates.
    b. 50 smaller plates for desserts
    c. Plenty of sturdy forks and knives for main dishes and plenty of forks for desserts
    d. Napkins
    e. Disposable wine glasses (9 ounce size is good)
    f. Disposable soda/water glasses (12 – 16 ounce size)
    g. On your table, have various serving spoons, forks, etc. available.
    h. A bottle opener and corkscrew
    i. A cooler filled with ice for guest’s drinks in warm weather months
    j. Plastic wrap or aluminum foil for any leftovers
  4. Place a garbage bag in an obvious spot. Be prepared to empty it several times through the night. If your household recycles, consider placing a sign on the receptacle of what can be recycled.
  5. If you are hosting a warm weather potluck and guests can be outside, let us know if we should advise guests to bring lawn chairs.