Community Cabaret 4 Caring and Camaraderie (CC4CC)

Details

When: Saturday, November 23, 2024. 1000h-2359h.
Where: Goderich Legion Branch 109
What: A 14-hour marathon “potluck of the community’s imagination.” Featuring: community luncheon, coffeehouse, cooperative games area, poets, authors, musicians, two extraordinary collaborative art projects, original songs, conversations with community leaders, greetings from the Mayor and Goderich Town Council, comedy improv, a cabaret, drag performances, community booths, a solidarity march around the square, a local vocal diva, a life-size collaborative puzzle, vocalists, guest appearances, audience participation, inspiring speeches, camaraderie with friends from Isaac Newton High School in Uganda via video-conference, sketch comedy, projected works from local artists, a four-scene murder mystery, a reverse auction, multiple sing-alongs, and of course a celebratory community dance.

At the end of the event, any unserved food was shared throughout the community to people experiencing precarity, scarcity, and homelessness.

Objective

To demonstrate loudly and proudly that Huron County resists the forces of hate.
To celebrate our extraordinary local talent.
To celebrate our long-standing connections, our shared commitments to peace, and our commitment to the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Significance

A “coming out party” for No Hate in Huron. Our first ever event.

Challenges

We tackled extremely complex logistical and capacity challenges. We started with two co-organizers, an email address and no money. We gathered dozens of friends across multiple networks together and by some miracle pulled off 14 hours of community celebration on two floors of the Legion and around the Courthouse Square with barely a hiccup.

Result

What was meant to be a collective celebration of togetherness on a
shoestring budget turned out to be a surprise highly successful fundraiser. Daytime entry was free with donations gratefully accepted. The evening performance was pay-what-you-wish. The funds raised from this single event carried us through 2025 and our formation as an incorporated non-profit, with money still left in the pot in 2026.

Lessons Learned

When envisioning and implementing extravagant, complex events you do not need to start out seeing the entire staircase. You just need to see the steps in front of you.
We were reminded what an extraordinary community we are a part of and how many people are deeply committed to peaceful resistance against hate activity.

Future Implications

Every element of the CC4CC could become a future event unto itself.
Now that we have achieved proof of concept, we could do this again (although we would likely opt to tackle it on a smaller scale next time).