The public art installation “(heart) Lockport” was the perfect face of a neighborhood picnic put on by Lockport United Church of Christ and friends Wednesday evening.
The church’s monthly take-out dinner ministry went dine-in under a big tent in the vacant lot west of City Centre, 80 Main St., the aroma of charcoal-fired grilling beckoning one and all. Lawn games and a bounce house, sunshine and a gentle breeze combined to make a welcoming place for 60 or so people, families and singles, to break bread together.
To create that scene, LUCC teamed up with the Lockport Public Arts Council and its partners in Edna’s Kitchen at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, where the dinner ministry is now based. LUCC sold its building at 98 East Ave., across the street from Emmanuel Methodist, last year and is now housed in rented quarters at City Centre. The monthly ministry once dubbed “community dinner” is now known as “neighborhood dinner” and members of Emmanuel Methodist are volunteering alongside the LUCC crew headed up by ministry founder Edna Stubbs.
The neighborhood picnic is a welcomed departure from the usual dinner format, which has been take-out only since the Covid pandemic, according to LUCC member Donna Dye-Sholk.
“It’s just a celebration, getting people together on Main Street, for food and fun. It’s a fun way to serve the community,” she said. “We want to make everyone feel valued, a part of this community.”
The arts council supplied the bounce house, lawn games and signage, as well as volunteers to facilitate the games and work in the food serving line. McCollum Orchards supplied the lettuce and tomatoes for garden salad. Dye-Sholk’s husband David manned the grill, giving Edna’s Kitchen crew the time and space to do its thing: whip up homemade picnic sides and desserts for a crowd.
“We’re trying to make Lockport better, in any way that we can,” Dye-Sholk said.