People congregate for lutefisk and more

The 89th Annual Lutheran Swedish Meatball and Norwegian Lutefisk Dinner was held Saturday at Havre's First Lutheran Church, with its usual fixings and a good turnout.

Dinner Co-Chair Jim Griggs said he didn't see quite as many people as he was hoping, but plenty of people came out to enjoy the food and company.

"Everything went well," he said.

This is the event's second year back after canceling in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a lot of yearly events to see dips in their attendance.

Griggs, who's been a co-chair of the dinner for more than two decades, said they really had no idea how things were going to go last year, especially since they were one of the first annual events to come back, but they managed to serve quite a few people last year and this year.

"They really came out in force," he said.

Among those who attended was Jerry Malkuch, who said he's glad to have an opportunity to gather and see people at an in-person event.

"This is a joy," Malkuch said.

Even without the pandemic, he said, so much human interaction now happens remotely and events like this are a breath of fresh air.

"One of the reasons is fellowship, just getting together," he said. "... It's a good chance to meet people."

He said the food was great this year and he's glad events like this are still going on.