Every Tuesday, there’s a gathering in Essex of regulars who meet for dinner. Usually the menu contains fresh, local food made with the current seasonal vegetables or fruit. There’s a modest selection of wine to share, and often cornbread still warm from the oven. Sometimes the menu is mostly desserts. But that’s what can happen at Tuesday Night Potluck at St. John’s Church.

Tuesday Night Potluck: Every Week at 6:00 PM

Tuesday Night Potluck has been going on since—well, at least twenty years or so, maybe more. Every Tuesday at 6:00 pm at Persell Hall, a loyal group of locals, mostly from Essex and Willsboro, bring a dish of something, large enough to feed six or eight people or so. At Potluck, the diners meet to trade news and gossip, and enjoy that one night in the week when meal planning only requires the simplicity of one dish.

Those who gather may or may not have a connection to St. John’s Church. Some of St. John’s ministers in the past have tried to make Potluck into a stepping-stone recruitment event for fuller participation in the church’s activities. But it’s never really been about the church, any church. It’s about the community coming together to share a meal.

Summer and Winter, All Are Welcome

In the winter, the crowd size dwindles down. In the summer, the overflow enjoys dining at the picnic table in the garden. Sometimes a new face walks in. A bicyclist traveling along the Adirondack Coast in search of home cooking. A summer couple renting a cottage in the Crater Club. A new neighbor with kids in tow. All are welcomed in, even first-timers who may come empty-handed. There’s usually plenty of really good food on hand, and always room for another chair at the table.

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