In the small town of Panama, Illinois, an enduring culinary tradition continues to bring residents together each Labor Day weekend. With a population of just 337, the community gathers annually for the Mulligan Stew dinner, a longstanding event that dates back to 1946.

The tradition began shortly after World War II, when John Malisia returned to Panama following his service as a mechanic, reportedly working on General Patton’s Jeep, though this detail remains unconfirmed by his family. At the time, Panama was experiencing economic decline, with a downturn in mining jobs contributing to growing hardship. To address local hunger, Malisia and a group of farmers pooled together whatever produce and meats they had available—including chickens that were no longer laying eggs, beef, turtles, and various vegetables such as carrots, beans, onions, garlic, potatoes, and cabbage. They combined these ingredients in large 35-gallon kettles, slow-cooking the mixture into what they called Mulligan Stew.

Initially a free community meal, the event provided a vital source of sustenance and fellowship. Today, the tradition persists with a modest fee of $5 per serving, supporting its continuation while fostering neighborly connection. The local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post has handled preparations in recent years, though the event’s character has remained largely unchanged.

Preparations begin well before the Sunday meal, with food collection starting on Thursday and cooking commencing Saturday night. Residents bring their own containers to fill with the hearty stew, which some now refer to as “hobo stew” due to its improvised, communal nature. Despite its mixture of ingredients, those familiar with the stew note that it does not have a strong chicken flavor, despite poultry being one of its components.

Although relatively unknown outside the region, the Mulligan Stew dinner in Panama stands as a testament to local resilience and the power of shared food traditions in small-town America. This year’s event benefited from pleasant weather following a day of extreme heat, allowing the community to gather comfortably and continue a ritual that has spanned eight decades.