Get rid of the winter blues with potluck community dinners
SUPERIOR – For more than a decade, in an effort to return some light to the gloom of winter, a Superior resident has held potluck dinners to bring the community together.
According to Billye Ann Bricker, the organizer of the potlucks, the events are completely free and everybody is welcome. The potlucks will be held on January 11, February 8 and March 8 at 6 p.m. in Superior’s 4-H building.
People are welcome to bring any dishes they want and there is no theme of what to provide. Bricker said no coordination is required and past events have had a good assortment of dishes available.
“Everybody just brings what they can and we’ve always had a great meal,” said Bricker. “We have salads…casseroles and tons of desserts.”
Coffee, punch, all utensils and dinnerware will be provided by Bricker.
Along with the meal and community get-together, the potlucks will also feature special guest speakers. The speakers’ topics range from informative talks about subjects or services to stories about adventurous travels. According to Bricker, this year’s speakers will have a little of both.
January’s speaker will be Game Warden Justin Singleterry of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He will discuss what he does in his job, any new laws the community should be aware of and will answer any questions people may have about FWP or the job of a game warden.
The speakers for the other two events will tell stories about travels and adventures. According to Bricker, at February’s potluck, Wayne Benson will talk about his trips to El Salvador, while in March, Carol Billadeau and Donna Chambers will discuss their trips to Alaska in search of polar bears.
The tradition began in the winter of 1996-97, when the area saw a particularly heavy winter. According to Bricker, people would tell her about how they were ‘done with the winter’ and wanted some form of distraction from the cold and gloom. In response, she held a potluck as a small party and a way to get excitement into the community. The event took off and has been an annual winter get-together ever since.
“[It’s just] a little something to break the winter blues,” said Bricker.
Originally, the potlucks were also held from November through March. However, Bricker did not want there to be conflicts with football games and changed the schedule so the potlucks would be after the New Year.
The events have been popular with people from St. Regis and Alberton who make the drive to Superior specifically for the dinner. According to Bricker, for the first several years, the potlucks saw 70 to 90 people in attendance. However, as the population has grown older, fewer people have wanted to make the drive. There have also been other distractions to pull people away.
“We’re always competing with sports, but not much,” said Bricker.
The event is still popular and draws a good crowd. Bricker estimated 30 to 40 people came to each of the potlucks the last few years.
Bricker invites everyone in the community to come for the potlucks and take a break from winter for an evening of fun with their neighbors. For more information about the events, contact Bricker at 822-4488.