Under the yellow and orange canopy of the trees lining Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, hundreds of Chattanoogans from all walks of life gathered Monday - for a hot plate, for a conversation, for a way to give back, for a dose of humanity.
For five years, Causeway, a local nonprofit, has hosted a community-wide potluck at one long table in the middle of the street during the week of Thanksgiving.
This year, the event - rebranded from One Table to Gratefull Chattanooga - yielded its biggest crowd yet, said Chelsea Conrad, creative director for Causeway.
"In my experience, people actually want to get to know people who are different from them, but they don't always know how to go about it," Conrad said previously. "At this event, we are really intentional about designing an experience that makes people more comfortable taking that step and introducing themselves to someone they would probably never meet in their day-to-day lives."
The organization expected about 1,500 attendees this year, double the number hosted five years ago when some Causeway staff first invited corporate heads and homeless folks and everyone in between to unite together around one table.
Barry Dent, from Soddy-Daisy, is homeless. Monday was the second time he had attended the event.
"I love it, it is awesome. It is a generous act of love," he said.
Dent has been on the street for eight years. He is a recovering addict and has struggled with mental health issues, he said. He has a camp on the outskirts of downtown and visits the Chattanooga Community Kitchen for showers and meals.
But he remains optimistic.
"God provides," Dent said. "Most days are great."
He smiled as he noted the different types of people attending the potluck.
"It's important to see the lower parts of society," he said. "There's no one to be afraid of."
Clark Taylor, founder of the Chattanooga Institute for Faith+Work and former CEO of Hospice of Chattanooga, said gatherings like this are rare, but needed.
"It's not often we have this sense of community," Taylor said. "People coming together and it doesn't matter who you are or your politics or beliefs."
Caroline Huffaker, a victim services coordinator for the Chattanooga Police Department and volunteer at the event, echoed Taylor's thoughts.
"Just the opportunity to sit at the same table together and talk with people you wouldn't normally meet - it is amazing," Huffaker said. "Right now especially, right now it feels even more important that we are here and can share a meal together."
Some people in suits and heels made their way from downtown offices for a plate of Thanksgiving favorites: turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. Others, such as Samuel Brinson, brought along their belongings in travel-weary suitcases and canvas bags or changed to their bicycles.
Sitting on a curb, Brinson shared his plate with his 5-month-old chocolate-colored puppy, Bear. He ran into his caseworker, who checked in with him.
"I'm between housing right now," Brinson said. "Me and my dog are just here, enjoying a nice day outside and a good meal."
About 50 kindergarten students from nearby Brown International Academy joined the throngs of people, bouncing excitedly and yammering about turkey and masked potatoes and pies.
"We brought all the kindergartners so they can be in their own community and eat lunch with people they don't normally eat with," said Holly Welch, a kindergarten teacher at Brown.
Volunteers with Causeway, local businesses and churches, Covenant College and students from Ivy Academy donned aprons and gloves, rolling up their sleeves to serve food. They handed out stickers and slips of paper with activities printed on them, trying to inspire people to talk to a stranger. For almost two hours, they served meals while the lines remained steady.
For Nazym Abibukirova, not only was the event her first Gratefull Chattanooga, it's also her first Thanksgiving. Abibukirova, 16, is an exchange student from Kazakhstan. She lives with a host family in Chattanooga, has a host sister and attends Ivy Academy, a Hamilton County charter school.
When her teachers told her about the event, she was excited for the opportunity to volunteer.
"They said it would be very great to serve people and they would be very pleased," she said. "I know Thanksgiving is a big family event and people gathered together to share food and spend time together."
Abibukirova said they have a similar day of thanks back home, but they don't gather together to share food. She spent her lunch hour offering slices of pie or coffee cake to passerby at the end of the line.
Since 2014, Causeway's annual event has been replicated in Nashville, Milan in West Tennessee and Huntsville, Alabama. In 2015, the Washington Post wrote a story about the event, and since then the group has sought to rebrand the initiative to help it catch fire in other cities.
The Feed Co. Table and Tavern was the presenting sponsor of Chattanooga's event this year, and Dish t' Pass prepared the turkeys for days ahead of time at cost, Conrad said. Dozens of other businesses and local restaurants also helped sponsor the event.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.