by Katadyn Connerley
Dulcie Holcomb has prepared elegant receptions for the wealthy and influential for Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club. She's worked the Food Network's Food & Wine Festival on Chelsea Pier. She’s run Epicurean's prestigious 8-course, paired-wine dinners. She learned every dimension of full-service events from the ground up. But what drives her isn't prestige. It's purpose.
Dulcie has run kitchens where perfection wasn't optional. And yet, the kind of moment that makes her most proud? Seeing a child connect with flavors they haven’t experienced before because what she created sparked their curiosity. Or watching a Minnetrista event attendee close their eyes after the first bite, because she has turned a meal into a memory.
"Most people are so far removed from where our food comes from today," Dulcie says. "Working for a place that connects the history and culture of food back to our tables...that matters deeply to me." For Dulcie, managing the Hospitality team at Minnetrista wasn't just a job opportunity. It was a calling.
As Hospitality Manager, she leads with a generous heart, always thinking about the person on the other side of the plate. Whether it's a staff meeting or a high-class wedding, every gathering gets her full attention, because every person deserves to feel cared for.
For Dulcie, food must be part of the story—never an afterthought. It is interpreting the meaning of an event and translating it into flavor, texture, aroma, presentation, and atmosphere. She begins every menu by asking: What should this moment feel like?
For Ghosts of Old Muncie, a recent program at the Museum, she crafted Civil War ration-inspired dishes that were humble, historically grounded, and quietly haunting. For the opening celebration of our Good Night Forest exhibition, she conjured campfire nostalgia and childhood wonder through flavor alone. The food Dulcie is creating doesn't just accompany the experience, it amplifies it.
Now, she's pouring that vision into the Garden Social Series. Breaking Bread, the first event of the series, will gather neighbors, educators, and food security advocates around community tables for conversation and dishes that warm the belly while dialogue stirs the soul. Market & Mimosas is a pop-up brunch built from Farmers Market ingredients—a love letter to local makers who bring this community to life. Each Garden Social event will unfold in a different outdoor space on campus, weaving food, place, and story together in a way that is distinctly Minnetrista.
Hospitality here isn't just a service. It's an invitation to connect, taste something real, and remember that food has always been how we care
The Garden Social Series is coming up.
You won't want to miss a single seat at Dulcie's table!