Renew Queens in Long Island City on Sept. 12 hosted “The Longest Table,” an event in which more than 500 guests could sit at a table – spanning the entire block of 46th Road between 11th Street and Vernon Boulevard – and enjoy mouth-watering food with members of the community.
The event was held in partnership with Wellspring Church NYC, Manducatis Rustica (which provided Italian food), Alpha, Cares Network, LIC Stars, and The Longest Table organization.
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
“We had this idea of, what a perfect time in the midst of everything going on in the world, to bring the neighborhood together, bring people together,” said Seth Bazacas, executive director of Renew Queens and lead pastor of Wellspring Church NYC. “And join round the table to make sure everybody knows that they belong and have a seat around the table.”
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
The Longest Table initiative began in 2022 as a way to connect and bring neighbors together in a time of disconnect. Guests can share a Thanksgiving-style meal, where they can bring various foods from all over the world to try. At the event, there was also a kids table, where children could participate and play with bubbles and chalk provided by Renew Queens.
Several kids at the event played with bubbles. Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
“People from all over brought some of their own dishes or side dishes or desserts to share,” Bazacas said. “They shared about their culture or why this dish was meaningful to them or just a favorite recipe they were doing. Food is a great equalizer among all of us. And it was beautiful to see people share recipes and dishes and do potluck-style food.”
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
The event also served as a way to celebrate each other’s cultures. Many brought food to share, including bao buns and dumplings, Italian food, Ethiopian food and Dominican desserts.
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
At The Longest Table, guests could leave with a new friend, build community and a new favorite dish.
“What we found is, whether you just moved here, whether you’re third [or] fourth generation Long Island City [resident], whether you’re a young professional or you’re raising a family here,” said Bazacas. “That people found themselves sitting around at the same table, and [had] a lot more in common than they realized and learned a lot from each other, to just share and eat and slow down a little bit.”
Photo courtesy of Wellspring Church NYC
For more information about Renew Queens, including future events, visit renewqueens.org.