*Drop-in "Spaghetti" Nights are back! August thru November - several more coming up

Sat, Nov 16 near Cypress/13th, hosted by Bina - TB RESCHED.

Fri, Nov 22 near Cornwall/Laburnum, hosted by Ross and Laura Lee.

Mon, Nov 25 near York/Larch, hosted by Tiva.

False Creek/others TBD.

Share a free meal w/neighbours, prepared by a neighbour. Last year, 200 people participated in over a dozen spaghetti nights and at the community-wide celebration. This year we anticipate around 225.

This year, a series of several neighbourhood Drop-in "Spaghetti" Nights (DISN's) will be hosted by Kits Villagers and other VVers around Kits and elsewhere on the Westside, followed/preceded by a large community-wide DISN celebration at the monthly Kits House potluck at St. Marks on Nov 7. Hosts provide the meal, tracking where ingredients come from, and we'll collate how local our eating habits are and how DISN's are helping connect neighbours at the community celebration. (They’re called Drop-in “Spaghetti” nights, because many of the ones we've held in past years have involved serving spaghetti, but can involve any foods - e.g., Drop-in Rutabaga Night.)

Open to all, DISN's are especially aimed at neighbours living close to one another (w/in 2-3 blocks of a host).

This time 'round, there's an added emphasis on linking different aspects of our food cycle/local food system, including growing, processing, preparing, education, and waste management. Free seeds will be available from the Kits Village Seed Library for hosts wanting to "grow their DISN dinner". In many cases, ingredients will sourced fresh and locally -- many times from the Kits Village Collaborative Garden and during the summer from the Thurs Westside Community Food Market at 8th/Vine, where VV tables w/the Seed Library, Plastic Recycling Depot, and other goodies. And hosts will be encouraged to drop their packaged waste at the monthly Recycling Depot and their food scraps at the Collaborative Garden or at one of our weekly Food Scrap Drop Spots.

If you live on the Westside and would like to participate in or host a DISN, please RSVP here, send your name and cross-streets to Ross at ross@villagevancouver.ca, or sign-up at the VV table at the Westside Community Food Market. (Hosts receive $5 per person to create the meal.)

The 1st DISN was hosted by Malin and Dan (near 5th and Vine) on August 18th, with over 20 neighbours attending.

The 2nd "spaghetti" night was hosted by Jane and Justin (near 1st and Trafalgar) on Tuesday, September 10, with 14 neighbours attending.

The 3rd "spaghetti" night was hosted by Claudia and Mark near 8th and Balsam on Sunday, September 15, with 16 neighbours attending.

The 4th spaghetti night was hosted by Russell near 5th/Trafalgar, with 14 neighbours attending.

The 5th spaghetti night was hosted by Karly and Marcy near 1st/Larch, with 8 neighbours attending.

The 6th spaghetti night was hosted by hosted by Robyn near Cornwall/Larch, with 12 neighbours attending.

The community-wide celebration took place at the monthly Kits House potluck at St. Marks on Nov 7 with over 30 neighbours attending.

Supported by a Green Neighbourhood Small Grant from the Vancouver Foundation and City of Vancouver, administered by Kits Neighbourhood House.