Los Alamos Elks Lodge hosts cornhole tournament and Father’s Day meal

The Los Alamos Elks Lodge turned Father’s Day into a low-key social outing, pairing a cornhole tournament with a meal at 1601 Trinity Drive from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The event gave families, regulars and casual drop-ins a place to spend the holiday together without the formality of a banquet or a fundraiser appeal.

The setup reflected the kind of role Elks Lodge No. 2083 has long played in Los Alamos, where civic clubs still provide some of the few in-person spaces that bring together older residents, younger families and newcomers. Cornhole is easy to join, easy to watch and easy to linger around, which made the lodge’s Father’s Day plan less about competition than about creating a shared afternoon around food and conversation.

That format already has a track record at the lodge. A cornhole tournament earlier in 2026 drew 20 teams and raised funds for the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico, showing that the game can work both as a social draw and as a charitable vehicle. The Father’s Day event did not present itself as elite competition; it was designed instead as a welcoming community gathering with a holiday meal attached.

The lodge has used similar events throughout the year to keep its calendar active. On March 28, members held an officer installation followed by dinner, and the lodge has described its programming as part of a broader effort to benefit youth in the community and support other charitable organizations. Its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Ashley Pond was scheduled for April 4, with members saying they had filled more than 20,000 eggs for the event.

Charitable outreach has extended beyond seasonal family events. The annual Charity Golf Tournament was scheduled for June 12, and the lodge said the previous year’s tournament raised more than $11,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and other local charities. Elks Lodge No. 2083 also lists regular meetings on the second and fourth Mondays at 6:30 p.m., except in July, August and December, underscoring how often the building is used as a gathering place.

At a time when many local institutions are measured by meetings, budgets and headlines, the lodge’s cornhole tournament offered something simpler: a reason to show up, stay awhile and share a meal with neighbors.