While having alcohol may seem like a nice touch, especially in the case of a superbowl party or a cooking class, the inherent liability that comes with the of serving alcohol at a community sponsored event make the practice undesirable in my opinion.
The residents who attend these events are not participating because they are looking for a free glass of wine, or a can of beer. They are participating because they want to learn something new, meet their neighbors or to get free food. But alcohol is not, and should not be the reason, and therefore I feel it's unnecessary.
Alcohol, or the lack thereof, will not make or break the event. It's not the 99 times that alcohol is served and nothing happens that we're concerned about. It's the 1 time, and that's 1 time too much.