Titanic Dinner at the Library

May 3, 2023

By Anthony Borgo, Head of Adult Services, Whiting (Ind.) Public Library

The Titanic Dinner invites guests to select real Titanic passenger tickets from a blind draw. Guests sit with their selected class (1st, 2nd or 3rd), and have dinner while watching a history lesson from a historical impersonator.

At the end of the dinner, patrons discover the fates of their selected passengers and whether or not they were survivors of the sinking.

Audience

Adult

Children / Family

Community Members

Older Adults / Seniors

Popular Topics

Community Engagement

Budget

$101-250

$501-1000

Details

Advance Planning

I began planning six months in advance when I hired the speaker portraying Violet Jessop, a stewardess on the Titanic.

Marketing

Budget Details

The cost of the food and supplies was under $100. The fee for the speaker was $400.

This was a free program for patrons.

Day-of-event Activity

There were four employees that helped with the event. Two before the dinner started and two during the dinner.

Program Execution

Passenger tickets were placed face down on a table and blindly selected by guests as they arrived. Guests then sat with their selected class for dinner.

Third class menu: mac and cheese, bottled water, store-bought cookies.
Second class menu: spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, flavored seltzer water, Little Debby snack cakes.
First class menu: lasagna with Texas garlic toast, sparkling grape juice, homemade chocolate cake.

Everything was made from scratch and cost under $100 including plates, napkins, tablecloths and utensils.

Titanic memorabilia was brought in by a library employee and set out around the room for guests to read.

The program was a success. I limited attendance to 30 individuals, but I could have easily had over 50 participants.

Advice

If you plan on doing a program like this and are going to cook, create a menu that you can prepare the majority of ahead of time. I underestimated how long preparing 30 meals was going to take.

About Library

Scanned image of a real ticket for the Titanic

Library Name

Whiting Public Library

Location

Whiting,

Ind.

Library Type

Public

Library Description

The Whiting Public Library was dedicated in 1906 through the generous support of Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller. The city of Whiting, Indiana has a population of just around 4,500 residents. However, we have a neighboring community that we provide library access to as well. The community is comprised of 48% Hispanic and 45% White residents with a median household income of around $50,000. The library staff consists of nine full-time employees and five part-time individuals.

Attachments