Thursday and Saturday nights this past week saw plenty of hungry residents flocking to a couple of special community dinners.

First, the Escalon Lions Club put on its traditional St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner, hosted on Thursday, March 16 at the Escalon Community Center. With corned beef, cabbage, carrots and all the traditional fixin’s, the meal was available for eat-in at the Community Center on Escalon Avenue or you could drive thru and take it home to enjoy there. Officials estimated over 250 tickets were sold for the dinner and many tables were purchased by local families or businesses to sit down and enjoy the evening together.

There was music, food, conversation and the chance to win one of many raffle prizes during the evening’s drawings.

Saturday night, March 18, it was the third Saturday of the month dinner night put on by the Escalon American Legion Post-American Legions Riders at the Second Street Legion Hall. This month featured a fish fry and it was a record turnout, noted officials. The crowd was estimated at more than 80 diners and there was both deep fried and grilled fish, along with shrimp jambalaya, bread, coleslaw, chips, beverages and more. The Legion hosts the community dinners on a regular basis, rotating the theme of the dinner, and said it is a way of thanking local residents for the support shown to the local post throughout the year. Donations are accepted for the dinner but not required.