On Christmas Day, the Montezuma County Annex Building in downtown Cortez hosted hundreds of people as they enjoyed a hearty holiday meal, together.

Community members filled plates with ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, salad and pie, and gathered around long, rectangular tables dressed in green cloths and gold garland for the occasion.

“This, to me, is what Christmas should look like,” said Jennifer Essary, who’s on the Community Christmas Dinner Committee. “One of the highlights from today was getting to watch our community come together in friendships and fellowship while sharing a meal.”

Leading up to the big day, organizers expected to feed 500 people.

Around 200 showed up to eat at the annex building, and another 150 meals were packaged to go.

For those in the community who were unable to make it to the in-person meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers delivered a meal to them. Essary said they delivered 78 meals.

It’s “hard to say,” the “weather might have contributed to a bit smaller turnout than we had expected,” though the white Christmas was undoubtedly dreamy.

Essary underscored how she values and enjoys working with volunteers of “all ages and backgrounds.”

“This dinner would not be possible without the hard work and support of our community,” said Essary. “We are blessed to live in an area that makes this event possible.”