DOWAGIAC — A night of drinks, appetizers and networking is coming to Dowagiac, thanks to a local professional group.

The Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac will host its annual spring mixer at 7 p.m. Thursday at Wood Fire Trattoria, 134 Front St., Dowagiac.

The event will serve as a “meet and greet” between members of the group and people of the public to both integrate the group with the public and potentially attract new members, said Rebecca Steenbeke, social media chair for the Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac and owner of Blue Print Photography.

“This is a yearly event to invite people to come out and check out the group,” Steenbeke said. “It’s a more informal meeting than our typical monthly meetings.”

The Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac is a group that works to increase opportunities that will involve and empower young professionals in the Dowagiac area and enhance the quality of life for area residents, according to the group’s Facebook page.

The group is involved with a number of community events including a daddy/daughter dance and summer fireworks.

“We really just want to bring in the community,” Steenbeke said. “We like where we live and we just want to make it more fun and a better place to live by providing great activities.”

Hosting the mixer is beneficial because it can give people unfamiliar with the group a chance to find out what the group does and what it’s goals are, Steenbeke said.

“If someone comes to one of our regular meetings, they might not be properly introduced to the group,” Steenbeke said. “This is an informal meet and greet.”

Steenbeke herself was first introduced to the Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac at its annual mixer three years ago. She said that she learned a lot of about the group at the mixer, which made her want to be involved with the group.

“We are a flexible, fun group. You can be as involved as you want,” she said. “They really understand that people have lives and work around that.”

Steenbeke said that she hopes anyone interested will attend the mixer, but if they are unable to, the group meets every third Wednesday of the month at a changing location.

“I think our group is great,” she said. “When I first moved to Dowagiac, I knew one person, literally. So, I joined the young professionals and I’ve made friends and I’m able to help out in my community. If you are new to the area or are even from here, it’s definitely a way to meet people who are good business people and just really nice people.”

If you go:

What: The Young Professionals of Greater Dowagiac spring mixer

Where: Wood Fire Trattoria, 134 Front St., Dowagiac

When: 7 p.m. April 19