A one-of-a-kind community spring celebration.
On an afternoon earlier this spring, music, laughter and a variety of delightful aromas filled the halls at Carroll Lutheran Village. Our Emerald Afternoon Celebration was in full swing, and attendees at our senior living event in Westminster, Maryland were definitely feeling the merrymaking vibrations of the St. Patrick’s Day season.
The luck of the Irish, however, played no role here. This was a well-conceived, creatively planned and lovingly executed event. Carroll Lutheran Village team members pulled out all the stops to make the celebration unforgettable.
“We really wanted to do a traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day celebration, but take it to that next level,” said Executive Chef Shelley Funt. “We were looking to provide an elevated experience, and that starts with the food.”
Ah, the food.
The culinary team huddled and developed a menu that embraced both Irish tradition and culinary innovation. The team always strives to use as many local ingredients from local providers as possible, and the Emerald Afternoon Celebration was no exception.
A variety of food stations were placed around the community’s dining areas. “We used the Hospitality Center, Bistro, Zest [the community’s farm-to-table restaurant] dining room and the private dining room,” Lisa Pearre, vice president of marketing and communications, explained. The stations included:
The Banger Station. A local butcher provided these traditional Irish sausages, and they were served with toppings, such as “mash” (i.e., mashed potatoes), caramelized onions or a traditional Irish gravy.
The Reuben Dip Station. Shelley explained, “We took the Reuben concept and turned it into a hot dip. You had your sauerkraut, your corned beef, your Thousand Island dressing and your Swiss cheese. We broke that all down into smaller bite-sized pieces, mixed it into cream cheese and some other spices, baked it in the oven and served with rye crostini.”
The Irish Charcuterie Station. Here guests were treated to locally sourced sliced corned beef, local fresh and pickled veggies and a variety of Irish cheeses. 
The Dessert Station. Chef Layla Groft led a team that created an assortment of sweet treats, including a traditional Irish apple cake. “The team always does a fabulous job with the desserts,” Lisa said. “They just knocked it out of the park.”
The Irish Whiskey Tasting Station. To round out the experience, guests sampled three Irish whiskeys, all under the expert guidance of Chef Kevin.
Ah, the craic.
No, that’s not a typo. Craic (pronounced KRAK) is how the Irish describe the lively banter, fun and connection of social gatherings. And at the Carroll Lutheran Village Emerald Afternoon Celebration, the craic was good.
“When people started coming in, I was like, wow, this is going to be really fun and relaxed and friendly and warm,” Shelley said. “And that’s exactly what it was.”
Throughout the afternoon, the halls were abuzz with conversation. “People who didn’t know each other got to talking,” Lisa said. “There was just so much energy with all that conversation, it was really very exciting.”
Shelley said, “We do a lot of things for the residents, and we like to make it personalized, elevated. We want our residents to experience something different. We want them to know they don’t have to go outside the community to find something exciting.”
As senior living St. Patrick’s Day celebrations go, thanks to the passion and tireless efforts of team members, the Emerald Afternoon at Carroll Lutheran Village undoubtedly rates at the top of the list. Sláinte!
To find out when you can experience the joy at Carroll Lutheran Village’s next event, visit https://clvillage.org/being-your-best/events/.
Or to schedule a personalized senior living tour of our 100-acre campus, call 410-453-1655.
