The Michigan City Senior Center at Washington Park will host its annual fish fry from 4-7 p.m. Friday, and guests will be able to try fish from Lake Michigan that they normally wouldn’t be able to eat at local restaurants.
Event Organizer Dennis Schultz says the fish fry has been going on for many years and it used to be a luau with a Hawaiian theme, but in recent years staff have done away with the decorations and theatrics and focused on the fish.
“We are serving lake perch, but a variety of other types of fish, too, like trout, chinook salmon and coho salmon. The fish that come out of Lake Michigan, legally you can’t sell them because they’re game fish.
“But when we have tournaments down here at Washington Park, many of our fisherman bring some of their catch to this fish fry, so it’s a great dinner because we have something for people who would never eat fish from Lake Michigan. You can try it here,” Schultz says.
Joe Doyle, a member of the Michigan City council and chairman of Summer Festival Inc. which organizes the event, says, “We also help promote coho because Michigan City is Coho capital. We work with some of the people from the fire department and the Coho Club.”
He says the fish is prepared a number of different ways, including frying, grilling, different types of breading, and it is served with potato salad, cole slaw, bread, fruit cup, and refreshments are available.
The setting is also spectacular, says Doyle, and the senior center seats 300 guests at a time.
“The facility is right on the lake, a little over 14,000 square feet with a beautiful view of the lake. There is no charge for parking. We have a couple of board members who own restaurants, and they do one heck of a job with preparing the food. It’s a festive event. People bring their families and we have white table cloths to make it as nice, and the senior center has all new tables and chairs,” he says.
What’s even more special than trying fish not normally experienced at restaurants and the view of the lake is the landscape after dinner.
Doyle says, “If the weather cooperates, people eat and take a walk in the park or go down to the beach to take a walk to the lighthouse, or they play volleyball. The park has benches all around, so it is beautiful.”
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Proceeds benefit the Summer Fest Committee, a not-for-profit organization.
Augustyn is a freelance writer.
Annual Fish Fry
4-7 p.m. Friday
Michigan City Senior Center, Washington Park, Michigan City
Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the gate
219-873-1504 or mcsummerfest.org