This Memorial Day weekend, the San Bernardino Mountains will kick off summer with something a little greener.
On Thursday, May 21, Mountain Provisions Cooperative is transforming an ordinary bingo night into a lively community gathering centered around plants, local food and the future of mountain living.
Hosted at Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company, Plant Bingo invites guests to play rounds of bingo for the chance to win an abundant collection of edible plants, herbs, flowers, garden starts and fruit trees – living prizes designed to keep growing long after the evening ends.
But beneath the laughter, music and friendly competition is something much bigger taking root.
The event supports Mountain Provisions Cooperative’s expanding work to build a more resilient local food system in the San Bernardino Mountains through their community gardens, public orchard, educational programming and food access initiatives.
At a time when many mountain residents still rely heavily on food transported from off the mountain, the cooperative is working toward something unprecedented for the region: Becoming the first and only organization currently growing food directly in Lake Arrowhead soil for community members to purchase locally.
“People are craving deeper connection right now – to their food, to nature and to each other,” said Lauren Kruz, board chair. “What we’re building is about creating a future where mountain communities can nourish themselves more locally, sustainably and collectively. Plant Bingo is a joyful way to invite people into that vision.”
The movement grew out of necessity.
Following the historic 2023 blizzard emergency that left mountain communities isolated and struggling with limited food access, Mountain Provisions Cooperative emerged through grassroots mutual aid efforts and community food distribution. Since then, the organization has evolved into one of the region’s most visible voices for food sovereignty, ecological stewardship and community resilience.
Recent projects include the Lauri Carleton Memorial Garden, the Twin Peaks Garden Learning Center, community workshops, fruit tree orchard initiatives and a growing network of neighborhood-based food cultivation efforts designed to make fresh produce more accessible throughout the mountain communities.
Plant Bingo serves as both fundraiser and gathering space – part community celebration, part invitation into a broader vision for what mountain life could look like in the years ahead.
The event will take place on May 21 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company. For tickets and more information, visit https://luma.com/71lky1ad.
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