Northside Friends held its 2025 Picnic August 24 at Loyola Beach, just north of its current digs at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr. The picnic pot luck started soon after the rise of Meeting for Worship - as quickly as Friends made their way to a beautiful wooded spot adjacent to Lake Michigan.

More than 40 gathered for Northside Friends 2025 picnic at Loyola Beach Park on August 31 after the rise of Meeting for Worship.

The perfect weather and gorgeous location were staked out early by Arcenia, who held the spot from 9 am until folks arrived.

The pot luck tested the mettle of Northside’s finest cookery, and dishes were sumptuous, varied, and plentiful - from vegan specialties to hamburgers hot off the grill. The agenda was simple: eat, talk and hangout, with up to 40 gathering over the course of the afternoon to enjoy the fun of camaraderie in a relaxed setting that was purely social.

The bright blue sky above was dotted with passing billows of clouds, and a mild breeze that kept temperatures civil after the heat of the previous week. Neither buggy nor muggy, it was a paradisical spot for chowing down and catching up.

Just a few steps east brought participants to the early stages of a reclamation of natural sand dunes anchored by thickening caps of Massan Grass, and from thence to the beach front and the beautiful blue waters of the lake.

A number of Friends captured the scenes, shared here, both the enticing dishes and smiling faces of the Quaker crowd. We asked participants to share their magic moments:

It never hurts to ask, as Suzanne and Fred soon found out.

“There were so many high points for me,” notes Susanne. “After arriving at the park on the early side, Fred and I realized there were no paper plates and Friends were eager to dive into the amazing potluck spread.

“We noticed a nearby tent where families were celebrating and after a bit of back and forth, ‘should we/shouldn't we,’ took the leap of faith and approached them about having extra plates they might give us. Their immediate response of generosity and joy to share their bounty of plates left Fred and me so happy we had asked and set the tone for a wonderful picnic.”

“It was a natural high for me to be in the midst of so many Northsiders having a good time,” says Susanne. “I especially enjoyed the opportunity to sit on a blanket and get to know Sarah and Kristen better while their adorable children flitted around us like butterflies.”

Suzanne’s erstwhile Friend in paper plate supplies, Fred, says, “The picnic is always the highlight of my summer! It was so much fun to spend time with Friends on a beautiful day and share an awesome meal (and pet Kit). Kit, it should be noted, a 14-year-old pitbull, was accompanied by her companion Beth.

For Atma, this year’s picnic brought back fond memories. “I enjoyed the picnic immensely, my first since 2008?” Atma says. “I often did outings with my Friends Meeting in Hong Kong. The time, attention, thought, love, care, excitement put into the salads we had to feast on was so delicious.”

Sharon enjoyed the discovery of Friends from other meetings, and the thrill of finding their paths crossing again after the picnic.

“I met a Friend from 57th St Meeting (Brandon) and a Friend from Clear Creek (Mike) at the picnic and had a nice chat,” says Sharon. “Later I went to Thirsty Ears, a classical music street festival, and was surprised to see them there too! I met their friends and discovered we all had even more friends in common. We spent the whole afternoon together. A perfect summer day!”

Those visiting Friends were also high on the list for Marie, along with “LA's banana pudding!” and “the number of Northsiders who came - at least 40? Probably more,” along with those visitors from Clear Creek and 57th St. Meetings. Also visiting were former Northsiders Charlie and Chris, and his young son Cayden.

Atma and Rossi, inveterate photographers, shared sights they captured along the way. (Gallery portraits below and where indicated above are by Rossi Joy.) The picnic will return next summer, so watch for the announcement and join the fun.