4 Unwritten Rules of a North Dakota Lutefisk Supper

If you’re an out-of-stater, your first church lutefisk supper can leave you wondering where to start.

North Dakotans who grew up at these tables tend to know the routine without thinking about it.

Here are the lutefisk supper customs worth knowing before you take a seat.

1. Skipping the Lutefisk

Many lutefisk supper promoters also offer Swedish meatballs for diners who skip the lutefisk, according to a 2006 Dakota Datebook segment on Prairie Public.

Zion Lutheran Church in Minot listed its 2026 supper as the 50th annual lutefisk and meatball dinner on North Dakota Tourism.

First Lutheran Church in Williston prepared 730 pounds of meatballs for its 2020 dinner, along with around 1,800 pounds of lutefisk.

If the fish isn’t for you, you can skip it.

2. Buttering the Fish

A volunteer at a lutefisk supper in Williston told KFYR television in 2020 to put a lot of butter on the fish.

The volunteer was at First Lutheran Church’s dinner.

Sons of Norway’s recipe page, which covers Norwegian tradition rather than North Dakota suppers, says melted butter seems to remain a favorite accompaniment for lutefisk.

If you want to follow that volunteer’s advice, butter your lutefisk generously.

3. Rolling Your Lefse

Lefse has a place at a lutefisk supper.

Oak Valley Lutheran Church in Velva put it in the name of its 2022 event, billing it as the 29th annual lutefisk, lefse and meatball dinner.

The Extension service at North Dakota State University says lefse is most commonly served topped with butter and sugar and rolled into a tight cylinder.

Sons of Norway names lefse among the necessary additions to a plate of lutefisk.

When a plate of lefse reaches your table, spread on the butter and sugar and roll it tight.

4. Passing the Platters

A lutefisk supper in Williston can be a shared meal, since First Lutheran served its February 2024 supper family-style, KEYZ radio reported.

Zion Lutheran in Minot also listed lefse and desserts served family style for its 2024 supper.

The Minot Daily News described Oak Valley’s 2022 supper in Velva as a sit-down, served meal, with the meal passed around the table.

At some suppers, you may pass dishes down the table instead of ordering a plate.

If a platter reaches you, send the rest along.

Take your share.

Serving Hours at Minot and Williston Suppers

North Dakota Tourism lists Zion Lutheran's 2026 lutefisk supper in Minot from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In 2024, the supper ran from 3 to 7 p.m., the Minot Daily News reported, so the 2026 start comes four hours earlier and the finish an hour sooner.

First Lutheran in Williston opened its doors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for its 2020 dinner.

If you are driving in from out of town, check the supper's listing for this year's serving hours.

Ticket Prices at the Door

A lutefisk supper at First Lutheran in Williston charged $8 for junior high and grade school students in 2020, the Williston Herald reported.

By February 2024, that price was $10, KEYZ radio reported.

Adults and high school students paid $20 both years.

Zion Lutheran in Minot sold tickets at the door in 2024.

Its 2026 list ran $22 per person, $10 for kids and free for children under 6, according to North Dakota Tourism.

At Zion, you'll pay by age, so know how old your kids are before you reach the door.

Who Staffs the Kitchen

A lutefisk supper in Williston took around 80 volunteers each year, the Williston Herald reported in 2020.

At First Lutheran's 2024 dinner, volunteers handled the plum sauce, potatoes, meatballs, rice, lefse and the cutting of the lutefisk.

At Oak Valley's 2022 supper in Velva, the majority of volunteers were confirmation students as young as third grade, according to the Minot Daily News.

At a supper like Oak Valley's, the volunteers around you may include a third grader, so say thank you.

Almont's November Supper

Almont has held its lutefisk dinner on the first Saturday of November for years, a resident told KFYR television in September.

Prairie Public's Dakota Datebook said in 2006 that Almont serves about 800 pounds of reconstituted cod every year.

The same resident said the lutefisk dinner is the biggest event the town's commercial club sponsors.

If you are driving in, check the supper's listing for serving hours.

How Big the Crowds Get

Oak Valley Lutheran's supper in Velva drew attendance in the 300s in 2022, the Minot Daily News reported.

That was down from the 500s in the years before the pandemic.

That is smaller than the 2,000 to 2,500 people First Lutheran in Williston fed in 2020, the Williston Herald reported.