How to Host a Dinner Party

Hosting a dinner party is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to bring people together. Sharing a meal around the table creates space for conversation, laughter, and connection—and it’s a beautiful way to show the people in your life that they matter.

Join Convivium Co-founder Leslie Shalabi for a joyful, practical class on how to host a dinner party with confidence and ease. Whether you’re hosting for the first time or simply want to make gatherings feel more relaxed and intentional, this class will help you create memorable evenings without stress.

You’ll learn how to plan a thoughtful menu, choose dishes that can be prepared ahead of time so you’re not stuck in the kitchen all night, and organize the flow of the evening so you can actually enjoy your guests. We’ll also explore how small touches—lighting, music, table settings, and simple décor—can create the right ambiance for the experience you want to share.

Because a great dinner party is about more than just the food, we’ll also talk about the art of conversation at the table: how to create a welcoming atmosphere, keep discussion positive and engaging, and help guests feel comfortable and included.

If you’ve ever wanted to gather people around your table but weren’t sure where to start, this class will give you the tools—and inspiration—to do it beautifully. Come ready to learn, share ideas, and imagine the gatherings you’ll create – and share a meal around the table at Convivium.

Instructor Leslie Shalabi is co-founder of Convivium Urban Farmstead, a Dubuque-based non-profit organization based on the idea of creating community around food. A life-long lover of food and entertaining, she is dedicated to helping people find ways to connect through the universal languages of food and hospitality.

Convivium is a nonprofit committed to helping increase accessibility to the tools and knowledge of how to grow and prepare your own food. As part of this commitment, and in pursuit of a more wholesome and secure food experience for all, Convivium is now offering most of our classes on a sliding scale.

The sliding scale system allows for classes to be obtained at multiple price points, based on the circumstances of the participant. It allows folks who may otherwise be priced out of something to have the chance to take part in it.

When completing your registration, please self-select from the following three payment levels:

• Contributor: The contributor level is a pay-what-you-can option that allows you to do just that – pay what you are able to for the class, at this time. Please note there is a $5 minimum per the Eventbrite platform. If this minimum, or paying with a credit card, is a barrier, please call us at 563.557.2900.
• Supporter: The supporter level is the normal ticket price of this class. It covers all the supplies and materials needed, as well as the instructor fee.
• Sustainer: The sustainer level is a buy-one, give-one model that covers the complete cost of your class plus a small donation that helps supplement the cost of a Contributor level participant. By choosing this level, you are ensuring we can continue to offer this class in a way that is accessible and affordable to all – thank you for your generosity.

Convivium Urban Farmstead has a no refund policy for all classes and workshops. If you are unable to participate in the class after you registered, your fee will be donated to our pay-what-you-can sliding scale level, which helps to ensure our classes are accessible and affordable to all. However, if Convivium cancels or reschedules a class for any reason (weather, instructor illness, etc.), participants will be notified as early as possible by email and their registration will automatically be refunded by Eventbrite. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your cooperation.

If fewer than six participants are registered for an event, Convivium reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the event.

The cut off time for cancellation due to low attendance will be one day before the scheduled date of the class. We will email and post cancellation notices on Facebook.

We will refer to the State Police website and road condition designations: https://511ia.org/. If the majority of the roads in Dubuque are designated “Travel not advised” (purple) or worse, we will cancel class.

The cut off time for cancellation will be one hour before the start of each class. We will email and post cancellation notices on Facebook.

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Host or Publisher Convivium Urban Farmstead