By Michelle Kinsey—
MUNCIE, IN—You’re invited to Muncie’s biggest outdoor dinner party.
Join hundreds of your friends and neighbors for Muncie’s Bridge Dinner Thursday, Sept. 18, on the Washington Street Bridge.
The free outdoor community event will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Parking for the event is available within walking distance at Tuhey Park.
“I love being part of something that reminds me how vibrant and connected Muncie can be when we all gather in the same place with the same spirit,” said Mitch Isaacs of Shafer Leadership Academy, one of the hosts of the event. “It brings neighbors from all walks of life together to share food, music, and conversation in one of the city’s most beautiful public spaces, building a stronger sense of community pride and connection.”
Purchase your dinner from one of the food vendors, or bring your own meal, and have a seat at one of the community tables decorated by students from Burris Laboratory School. DJ Kendric will provide the dinner music.
Food vendors this year will include Yard Bird BBQ, Three Bears Concessions, Neighborhood Pizza, Payne’s Food Truck, Downtown Farm Stand, AppeThai, Karma Kitchen, and Legacy Village.
Canoe Country, a Daleville-based outfitter, will offer the opportunity – for free – to get up close and personal with the White River on one of their kayaks. And vendors including The Jaunty Lady, Ohmugawd!, and Carrie Wright Silks will be offering Muncie-focused items.
More than a dozen groups and organizations are involved in the planning and support of this annual dinner, including the JROTC from Muncie Central High School, who help with set up and tear down each year.
The idea for a community dinner in an unusual location was inspired by Peter Kageyama, author of “For the Love of Cities: The Love Affair Between People and Their Places” and “Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places.” Peter spoke in Muncie on March 15, 2017, at Cornerstone Center for the Arts, and provided a new language for speaking about community and economic development – a language that includes words like beauty, passion, and fun.
In September 2017, the first Muncie Bridge Dinner was served on the Washington Street Bridge.
“The Muncie Bridge Dinner creates a special and memorable experience by transforming an, otherwise ordinary, bridge into a vibrant gathering place,” said Brad King, a member of the event planning committee. “This transformation helps foster a stronger emotional connection between residents, their city, and the neighborhoods adjacent to the event.”
The Bridge Dinner is hosted by Muncie Action Plan, Shafer Leadership Academy, Ball State Office of Community Engagement, Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Ivy Tech Community College, Old West End Neighborhood Association, Polcz Volbrecht Homes at RE/MAX Real Estate Groups, Muncie Community Schools, Muncie Police Department, Canoe Country, Words with Jas, and Burris Laboratory School.
Generous support for the event is provided by the Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler Foundation, the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, and the Riverside-Normal City Neighborhood Association.
Krista Flynn, of Ball State’s Office of Community Engagement, said the event “is such a quick burst of energy and excitement, and I want to be a part of that each year.”
Ditto for Jennifer Jas, who owns Words With Jas, one of the event hosts.
“I love attending the Bridge Dinner and seeing people make new friends across the table and hug old friends they haven’t seen in a while,” she said. “I love watching kids and adults paddling canoes and kayaks on the White River for the first time. I love hearing the DJ playing music from various genres, and people of all ages spontaneously dancing on a chalk-outlined dance floor in the middle of the Washington Street Bridge. And the food trucks — oh my! The positive spirit of this event brings Muncie together.”
For more info, go to https://muncieneighborhoods.org/bridgedinner/.
