Why potluck parties are making a big comeback in America

Why potluck parties are making a big comeback in AmericaAs Americans eat alone more often and spend less time socialising, communities are rediscovering one of the oldest ways of bringing people together.Community members raise their arms during a gratitude poem at a supper in Westbrook, Maine, in July 2025 [Courtesy of Community Plate]Community members raise their arms during a gratitude poem at a supper in Westbrook, Maine, in July 2025 [Courtesy of Community Plate]By Juhie BhatiaPublished On 6 Sep 20266 Sep 2026SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkTrenton, New Jersey — Long tables covered with American-flag tablecloths stand ready in the summer heat, as red, white and blue balloons sway overhead. The few dishes that have arrived are tucked under white mesh covers, while two grills sit at the edge of a driveway across the street.Small American flags line the path to this grassy area beside a canal and a patch of trees. The trail begins at a large, dark burgundy sign that reads, “Welcome to Hiltonia, founded circa 1920”. The quiet neighbourhood of about 300 single-family homes, well-kept lawns and tree-lined streets is part of Trenton, New Jersey.Only a handful of residents are mingling as Rich Green and Julie Kroon, a young couple in matching blue T-shirts, arrive with a bowl of corn and bean salad. Soon, others show up, greeting one another enthusiastically as they compliment the festive outfits and ask what everyone has brought to eat. As some struggle to open their folding chairs, others step in to help.Thomas Emerick, a Hiltonia resident for 26 years, stands near the food table. Wearing a red-and-white striped shirt, he points to his contribution: a Thai black bean salad flavoured with garlic, ginger, cilantro and lime juice.“You know what? You can have a social event without food, and you know how many people are going to come?” he asked. “Exactly. Now, if you feed them, they will come.”Hiltonia’s gathering was part of America’s Potluck, a nationwide initiative led by the America250 Utah Commission to mark the country’s 250th anniversary through shared meals. But it also reflected a broader effort to rebuild social ties through one of the oldest social rituals: eating together. As loneliness and social divisions grow in the United States, communities, nonprofits and governments are turning to potlucks, communal dinners and other food-based gatherings to create opportunities for connection. Experts say these meals can bring neighbours to the same table, but lasting relationships depend on what happens after the dishes are cleared.The July 5 America’s Potluck initiative encouraged people in every state to host or attend a potluck, with communities in all 50 states participating. While organisers had intended it to be a one-off event, they said some hosts are already preparing to do it again next year. Hiltonia was one of more than 1,700 such potlucks that took place across the country.Dressed in a red sleeveless dress and sunglasses, Lily Knezevich, president of the Hiltonia Association, greeted everyone and made sure things were running smoothly at the event. A Hiltonia resident for more than 20 years, Knezevich learned about America’s Potluck through her involvement with Revolution NJ, New Jersey's initiative for organising semiquincentennial events.The Hiltonia Association tries to keep people engaged with one another and encourages neighbours to support and look out for each other, Knezevich explained. Food is one way to make this happen.“People naturally like to get together around food,” she said. “It's a great draw.”Getting people to a table, of course, is the easy part. The tougher question is whether a meal can turn strangers into neighbours and friends — and whether a few hours of togetherness can build lasting connections. Research cannot yet tell us how long those relationships last, but it is beginning to shed light on the social benefits of eating together.Hiltonia resident Gloria Bethea enjoys the community gathering organised as part of America's Potluck on July 5 [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Hiltonia resident Gloria Bethea enjoys the community gathering organised as part of America's Potluck on July 5 [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Benefits of shared mealsThe 2025 World Happiness Report found a strong association between sharing meals and subjective well-being. People who regularly ate with others reported higher life satisfaction. Countries where people share more meals also tend to have greater levels of social support and less loneliness.A report by the Foundation for Social Connection also points to food and nutrition as forces for social ties, from shared meals and meal delivery services to community gardens. It notes, however, that while promising, more research is needed.Yet, despite food’s potential for bringing people together, Americans are increasingly dining alone. Busy schedules, changing lifestyles, technology and new ways of preparing and consuming food have reshaped how people gather around the table.In 2023, about one in four adults reported eating all their meals alone the previous day, a 53 percent rise since 2003. While dining alone has become more common across every age group, this is especially true for young people.“There's a level of atomisation that people like. They like the autonomy that comes with being alone, with living on your own, with not being enmeshed in family or other kinds of institutions,” said Alice Julier, a sociologist and food studies professor at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “But it's also quite difficult. It can be isolating and alienating and connected to depression.”For generations, communities used shared meals not only to feed people, but also to pass on traditions, build relationships and create a sense of belonging.“Potlucks are an ancient social form,” said Megan J Elias, the Winiarski curator of food and wine history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. “Bringing together community resources for a meal has made sense through most of human history, especially in times when foods were less plentiful than they generally are in contemporary America.”In North America, she said, communal feasting and traditions of pooling food long predate Europeans’ arrival; the particular American form called the “potluck” came later. Since then, potlucks have been part of community life through churches, social movements and cultural traditions. In the 1960s and 1970s, potlucks became part of countercultural movements that pushed back against suburban isolation and emphasised collectivism.“Potlucks allow people to feed each other outside of family or intimate relationships, so they are great for creating a sense of common care,” Elias said. “They allow for folks to share their cultures with others outside their culture and also, sometimes in contrast, to affirm common culture.”Hiltonia's potluck dessert table was a hit [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Hiltonia's potluck dessert table was a hit [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Food as a connectorToday, communities like Hiltonia and organisations across the country are building on that tradition by creating intentional opportunities for people to connect through food. Groups such as OneTable, which supports peer-led Shabbat dinners; The Longest Table, which organises community meals around a single, often block-long table; and Longer Tables, which designs shared meals and conversations, are exploring how food can serve as a bridge between people.“Food connects us to our family histories, it connects us to our communities, both our geographic communities and our cultural communities, and it gives us something that we can share,” said Karl Schatz, cofounder of Community Plate in Maine. “That's what being human is all about, sharing our personal experiences with each other. We just need to find more ways to do that.”Community Plate grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Schatz and his wife, Margaret Hathaway, a cookbook author and food writer, were working on a Maine bicentennial community cookbook. Schatz, a photojournalist and storyteller, and Hathaway began collecting family recipes from people across the state. Through the project, they saw how food and the stories surrounding it could bring people together, particularly at a time when many were isolated. The experience inspired them to find a way to continue that work.At the time, they also noticed how political tensions were spilling into relationships.“We saw these political divides were dividing neighbours who otherwise would be friendly,” Schatz said. “At some point, everyone needs help. The neighbours are the first people that, geographically, are closest to you, who might be able to lend you a hand.”Working with local partners across Maine, Community Plate creates free dinners designed to feel elevated, with tables set with cloth napkins, metal flatware and mismatched china. The gatherings typically draw 40 to 60 people who are invited to bring dishes, recipes and the histories behind them.Schatz emcees the evenings, as participants share personal stories in response to prompts such as “Gratitude” and “Sowing Seeds”. Since its first supper in Lubec, a small town in eastern Maine, in 2023, the organisation has held more than 50 gatherings, many in rural communities.After each potluck, participants receive a community cookbook with recipes and photos from the evening. The dishes vary with the seasons, from tabbouleh and potato salad in summer to stews and hot dishes in winter, and many recipes carry a story.One participant shared a recipe for "Grandma Greeney’s Cole Slaw", describing how it was passed from her grandmother to her mother and then to her. “We all compete to make it as good as Grandma’s,” she said.Another shared her father’s cucumber salad recipe, writing that it was “one of my father’s signature dishes” and that he took pride in making it for family meals. “Dad just turned 91 a few weeks ago. He is not here today as he has Alzheimer’s,” she wrote. “I miss him, he is my best friend.”“There’s something really special about a potluck that’s different than just people sitting down and eating together at a table,” Schatz said. “When people bring food … and you’re feeding each other, there’s this simultaneous giving and receiving that’s taking place. That creates a sense of both helping and being helped. We’re so afraid to ask for help, but this is like training wheels for that.”Schatz said participants often mention the connections they’ve made, including new friendships, exchanges of baking and cooking tips, and even a job opportunity, through the events.Surveys of nearly 400 Community Plate participants found that 96 percent said they made ties with someone they didn’t know well, while 88 percent felt more connected to their community after an event. Many also said the dinners left them feeling more optimistic.“These are tough times we’re all living in,” Schatz said. “Having one evening where you turn off your phone, and you’re just having good food and good conversations with people you didn’t expect to meet, it makes you feel more connected to the world that you’re living in.”Residents of Trenton's Hiltonia neighbourhood gather to meet one another and enjoy a variety of foods on July 5, 2026 [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Residents of Trenton's Hiltonia neighbourhood gather to meet one another and enjoy a variety of foods on July 5, 2026 [Juhie Bhatia/Al Jazeera]Hiltonia gathersBy midafternoon in Hiltonia, the possibility of that connection was spread across the tables. Tuna macaroni salad, watermelon feta salad, coleslaw and other sides sat alongside tinfoil trays of grilled hot dogs, cheeseburgers and chicken. A neighbour arriving fashionably late added her US-themed cupcakes to a dessert table already crowded with strawberry pies, fruit salad, watermelon and cherries.About 25 people had gathered, some sitting in folding chairs on the grass, while others formed a semicircle along the kerb and street, talking about the weather and how they marked the Fourth of July.Introductions quickly gave way to the question, “Which house are you?”As residents named their streets or pointed out where they lived, they began placing one another: “Oh, you’re next to ...” or “I know your house.”Nearby, pavement chalk and toys sat mostly untouched in the grass, as only one child had shown up. Some wondered whether younger families were away for the holiday weekend.While this potluck marked America’s 250th anniversary, gatherings like these are commonplace in Hiltonia. Before COVID-19, there were “Flamingo Friday” socials, monthly potlucks hosted by different residents. A set of pink plastic flamingos on the lawn signalled the host.Since then, the potlucks have become less frequent, in part because residents got out of the habit and it’s become harder to find hosts, Knezevich said. Still, the neighbourhood holds regular events, including a book club, summer garden party and a winter holiday party.Knezevich said it’s been a gradual process trying to return to pre-pandemic-style programming, but she’s always looking for ideas to bring people together. “It enriches the life of the neighbourhood to feel like you can go chat with your neighbours and your friends periodically,” she said. “It's not as frequent as it used to be, but we're getting there.”For Rich Green, events like this are what make Hiltonia feel different. Although he has lived elsewhere in New Jersey, this is the first place, he said, where he has truly felt part of a neighbourhood.“It’s about community. It’s about getting to know our neighbours,” said Green, who has lived in Hiltonia for four years. He added that it can be hard to talk to strangers on the street, but gatherings like this can help break down barriers.“If you meet them here, you’re more likely to wave at them while you're walking by each other or to have a conversation.”His wife, Julie Kroon, said these occasions also create a stronger sense of pride in where they live. “It’s such a great neighbourhood. It’s so friendly,” she said.Knezevich hopes that feeling of connection will also encourage more people to get more involved in their community and make it easier to work out disagreements when they arise, whether over neighbourhood security or how to manage the local deer population.“My experience is, if you’re used to talking to someone socially, it's much easier for you to address these hot topics, too,” she said.Locals gather for a Community Plate supper in Portland, Maine, focused on the theme of "Sharing a Space", in September 2025 [Courtesy of Community Plate]Locals gather for a Community Plate supper in Portland, Maine, focused on the theme of "Sharing a Space", in September 2025 [Courtesy of Community Plate]Work of building communityThe benefits of these informal encounters can extend beyond a single occasion. Ashante M Reese, a writer, anthropologist and associate professor of African and African diaspora studies at the University of Texas at Austin, says such everyday interactions are key to creating stronger communities.“We cannot practise the kind of society we want on a larger scale without doing it on a small scale,” she said. “So to me, when I think about these gatherings, and I think about potlucks, I think about them as practice grounds.”At these gatherings, Reese said, people practise the everyday but essential skills that make communities work: deciding how labour is shared, caring for one another’s needs, building trust and navigating uncomfortable moments.“All of that happens at the scale of a potluck or a community meal,” she said. If people can do those things well around a table, she argued, perhaps they can apply them more broadly in their communities.But Reese also cautioned that a one-off potluck does not automatically create meaningful relationships. “The real work of building social connection happens after the gatherings,” she said. “The gathering is an opening.”Turning those openings into lasting relationships, however, takes work. Behind every community gathering are people handling the often invisible labour of making it happen, from finding a space and organising logistics to sustaining the effort.“There are a couple of classic sociology articles that argue that the potluck is more egalitarian because people share the work, and I raise some questions about that,” said Chatham University’s Alice Julier, who also wrote Eating Together.“Because, of course, if historically and culturally women are more generally responsible for that kind of food work in the home, they tend to be more responsible for it in other places. There’s no gathering that’s inherently egalitarian, right? You have to work at it.”Part of that work includes considering who is being reached, who feels welcome and who may still feel excluded.That’s why the Hiltonia Association has made outreach a priority.Locals gather for a food-based 'By the Book' at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, in Lovell, Maine, on July 22, 2024 [Courtesy of Community Plate]Locals gather for a food-based 'By the Book' at the Charlotte Hobbs Memorial Library, in Lovell, Maine, on July 22, 2024 [Courtesy of Community Plate]Inclusion mattersThe association uses its website, email lists, newsletters and neighbourhood flyers, and it enlists volunteers who walk around to make sure residents know about upcoming events. The association also has a welcome wagon to greet new neighbours and tell them what’s happening.Kathi Eckert, a retired teacher who has lived in Hiltonia for more than 10 years, said personal contact still matters. Wearing a grey 250th-anniversary T-shirt and baseball hat, she chatted with people around the lawn before settling in with the group gathered along the street.“We are so inundated with media, emails, ‘noise’ that it is hard to focus on what’s going on in our little world. A personal ‘reaching out’ to someone is so much more meaningful than just sticking a flyer in their screen door,” said Eckert, who informally lets neighbours know about upcoming events. “It’s not always possible, but we try.”Even with those efforts, reaching people who are not already involved can be a challenge. Eckert said some neighbours may hesitate to attend because they assume the group is already well-established.“We do tend to see a lot of the same people here, because I think we all have that same intent to keep community,” Eckert said. “But I have also heard that some people won’t come because they think we’re a clique. We’re not a clique unless we exclude people, and we don’t do that. We open this to everybody.”The challenge is not only getting people through the door but creating the conditions for them to feel they belong once they arrive. For Reese, inclusivity means thinking beyond who is invited to how you’ve curated the space for the people who are there.“If you are trying to host a gathering with the intent of getting a wide variety of people, some folks are going to have a question of, am I going to be safe there? And have you done your due diligence to make sure that I am?” she said. “These things don't just happen, and I do think that we are in a moment where intentionality feels even more important.”To create a space where people feel welcome and able to participate, Community Plate works to remove economic and other barriers. Guests can share a story or listen, bring a dish, buy something simple, or just come and eat. Organisers also encourage people to take leftovers home for themselves or neighbours who could use a meal. Their toolkit outlines ways to make community meals more accessible.“We do our best to meet people where they are,” said Schatz.But even the most intentional gatherings won’t work for everyone. Carter Florence, vice president of programmes at Meals on Wheels America, said there’s “no one silver bullet” when it comes to creating social ties. Through community dining and home-delivered meals, her organisation uses food as an entry point for social support, helping to build relationships and reduce isolation.“For some people, the idea of eating with a group of people they may not know is actually really uncomfortable, and that wouldn’t be a very positive situation,” she said. “But the idea of someone that I’ve maybe seen periodically coming by and delivering a meal may be more beneficial.”The individual nature of connection is what makes scaling these programmes complex. “You really want to be able to offer the type of connection that’s going to be most beneficial” for each person, Florence explained.The idea has also made its way into policy. A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published in July, highlighted how food-based activities are appearing in national and local strategies to strengthen social ties.The report shows, for example, how Japan’s national loneliness plan includes community cafes and meal-delivery programmes. Seoul has introduced convenience stores where residents can prepare and share meals alongside accessing other forms of support. Several European countries have also backed communal-eating initiatives. The programmes differ, but they reflect a recognition that food can function not only as nutrition but also as a way to create social connections.Back in Hiltonia, by early evening, people were folding up their chairs and packing the remains of their dishes to take home. The community’s next gathering was already planned for August: a National Night Out, where neighbours would block off the street and share another potluck.Green and Kroon stayed until the end, helping clean up before leaving about 7pm. While at the event, their next-door neighbours introduced them to a couple who recently moved into the area. The two couples chatted about life in Hiltonia and the house the newcomers were moving into. Green and Kroon hope to get to know their new neighbours better and plan to visit them once they have finished unpacking.It was a small example of what organisers hoped the potluck would accomplish: turning neighbours who might otherwise remain strangers into people with a reason to meet again.While they are still building relationships in the area, Kroon said they have made some close friends here.“It’s hard to start forming these things,” she said. “But if there’s already something established that you can show up to, it’s a lot easier.”