LAGUNA BEACH : Serving Up Plans for a Thanksgiving Picnic

Preparing for an annual celebration that one participant said pulls this city together “like a big family,” volunteers are wrapping up arrangements for a Thanksgiving picnic in Bluebird Park.

The custom began years ago at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church as a way of providing a Thanksgiving meal for the needy.

In 1987, the celebration moved to Bluebird Park and was opened to all residents, with City Council members and other officials among the guests.

Since then, the meal has typically attracted more than 200 people each year, some of whom stop by before joining their families for dinner.

“It became much more of a community thing than just feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving,” said Father Colin Henderson, director of Friendship Shelter, which oversees the event. “It’s always wonderful to see how many different groups of people we have there, people from all walks of life.”

The potluck meal will be at noon Thursday at the park, Cress Street and Bluebird Canyon Drive. All residents are invited to attend and bring a dish to share.