Sharing a meal

Ocracoke is a place of many potlucks. More of them happen in the off season, when things are a bit slower around here and folks have time to get together over food. Tonight was the annual "meet the performers" pot luck dinner which officially kicks off the Ocrafolk Festival. It was a large potluck by any measure, with several hundred people in attendance.

After the meal, the Festival fundraising auction was held to raise money to support the event, which does not charge admission. One of the auctioned items was quite creative - it was called "potluck a month". Each month for the next twelve, the lucky winner will receive a traditional Ocracoke potluck recipe, including notes and stories about its origin, and the "one special ingredient that makes it turn out perfectly". At the auction tonight, the winner also got several kitchen/cooking-related items, including small skillets, spatulas, etc. When Merle (the lady who thought of this unique gift) described it to the crowd, she reminded everyone of the fact that Gary Mitchell (of Molasses Creek) submitted an essay to NPR on the topic "I believe", and that it was selected, recorded and played. His theme? "I believe in potlucks." It's a lovely piece, and Gary really captures the essence of potlucks as a part of community. You can read it here.