Official Opening of the Burritt’s Rapids Summer Social Season

The stars aligned yesterday for a community idea I’ve wanted to try out for awhile: the spontaneous Front Yard Happy Hour.

We live in a village which sports a tiny public library, a Community Hall, a small public beach, but no economic activity.  The closing of the lovely old General Store, with its beloved seasonal ice cream, means there is less reason to stroll the main street and enjoy chance encounters with the neighbours.  Unless people gather privately (as they do) or partake in the one or two organized community events, it’s possible to go months without seeing one another or socially meet the new faces that show up around town.  I think it’s incredibly important to have fun and not always be picking at the business of community.

I’ve become a fan of the impromptu gathering where fuss, logistics and planning are kept to a minimum so that the hosts can enjoy the event as much as the guests do.  As much fun as it is to be The Hostess With the Mostess, I can definitely do without the pre-and post-event housecleaning/dishwashing and full contact event coordination.

I stocked up on gin, tonic, limes and ice and the simplest munchies, and sent out a brief invite on Facebook and by e-mail:

Inaugural FRONT YARD HAPPY HOUR – TODAY – 5:30 – 7:00pm – Casa Vignuzzi/Cordonier

Consider this the official launch of the 2012 summer social season in Burritt’s Rapids.

We have gin, we have tonic, we have limes and we have ice. Bring your own glass and we will fill it with G&T’s, until 7:00pm (or when the liquor runs out).

Wander by for a chitter chatter. If you want to donate cans of food/drygoods to the Food Bank, cool, bring them along.

Hope to see you here!

I wanted to hold it in the front yard, which is naturally a public-oriented space, where anybody walking by would be invited to spontaneously join in.

Two things particularly pleased me: talk begin immediately about making this a weekly or monthly event that would rotate amongst the properties; and secondly, that such events would be neutral touch points between neighbours who don’t always see eye-to-eye on community politics and policy.  I admit to intervening a couple of times to steer the conversations away from certain button-pushing hot topics.

As expected, Happy Hour extended beyond 7:00pm and a number of people went home particularly happy, including Husband.  The fact everyone could walk home made it even better.

It was a good experiment in possibilities and I look forward to seeing what happens next.  Future events will provide the perfect excuse to try out some of these delectable Happy Hour treats.  Bourbon-Butterscotch-Latte pops, anyone?

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