Event celebrates local Norwegian heritage
The 102nd annual Lutefisk Supper and Norwegian Bake and Craft Sale is scheduled from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.
Hosted by Northland Lutheran Church, this supper celebrates the Norwegian heritage of the many families who helped settle the rural rolling lands of the Iola area.
Norwegian church members will bring their culinary expertise to prepare a family style supper to include lutefisk, torsk (boiled cod), meatballs, mashed potatoes, gravy, lefse, buttered carrots, cole slaw and cranberries.
Dessert includes such traditional Norwegian pastries as rosettes, sandbakkels, krumkakes, and fattigmann cookies.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for those 5 and under.
The church is located at N9880 State Highway 49, about nine miles north of Iola.
The church started the supper tradition in 1915, missing only two years, due to World War I and a flu epidemic.
Chicken was originally served before the supper turned to more traditional Norwegian cuisine.
The church usually prepares an average of 500 pounds of lutefisk, 300 pounds of potatoes, 300 pounds of meatballs, and goes through about 36 cases of lefse, which is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread.
Lutefisk is white codfish prepared according to Norwegian custom, served with plenty of melted butter. Torsk was added to the menu two years ago and has proven to be popular.
More than 525 visitors attended last year, with some out of state.