Some fish fries are hard to find dates for. We gathered general information but
lack specifics on these fish dining experiences:
Fish fries in which organizations such as community clubs--Kiwanis, Rotary and
their ilk, and church groups, often Catholic, are an American tradition and
great fund-raiser for community causes.
Some of these clubs in California have been cooking fish for as long as anyone
can remember--maybe even 60+ years. One such example is
Costa Mesa Lions Club
event from the Fish Fry Club says their fry has been around before the baby
boomer generation got into full swing around 1950. The dedicated service
organization has a crowd-pleaser, and why change something that is a proven
success? Money raised from their annual event helps fun programs to help
schools, needy and the hungry even. cmnhlions.com
Drive 20 minutes north to Seal Beach where you'll find the Seal Beach Lions Club
and another delicious fish fry. The club says their fry event has been around
longer than Costa Mesa's fry. Since 1943 they've been cooking up a storm
each summer as well and their Seal Beach Pier Fish Fry is one of the finest to
rival Lobster events in nearby Long Beach, San Pedro and Redondo Beach. Seal
Beach ocean-view fish fry next to the Seal Beach Pier at Eisenhower Park is held
in mid-July annually.
CAMBRIA - March 24, 2012
Cambria Annual Fish Fry at Joslyn Center and is sponsored by Cambria Fishing
Club. Held on the Central Coast usually after Mother's Day, the event is quite
popular around town, and with visitors.
COSTA MESA
June 2 & 3, 2012 Costa Mesa Lions Club Fish Fry. Location: Fairview
Park, Costa Mesa. Event is billed as one of the oldest fish fries in California.
Includes baby contest and many fun activities, foods and events as a major
fundraisers for Costa Mesa Lions Club. cmnhlions.com
SEAL BEACH
July 21 & July 22, 2012 Annual Fish Fry
11am- 7pm
Eisenhower Park East
Sponsored by the Seal Beach Lions Club. sealbeachlions.com
OCEANSIDE - March
Surfers in Oceanside host the Alley Fish Fry in March, bringing together
surfboard shapers, designers, and industry pros, as well as the novices and
enthusiasts. Note: This event is tough to find so we'll post it when we discover
its resurgence.
SAN MIGUEL
San Miguel Lions Fish Fry began in 2006 and helps support Lions Club programs
such as free swimming to San Miguel Youth at the community pool. The Lions Club
there serves San Miguel, Bradley and Pleasant Valley areas. For more
information, call (805) 459-4722.
How did eating fish become associated with church tradition? Meat such as beef
was once a luxury and not affordable to all. Fish, however, was the only
affordable food that poorest church members could obtain. Anyone could catch a
fish and have a meal. Thus a day of eating fish was considered a day that each
and every person could afford to eat. Christians now consider fish on Fridays
and / or holidays as a form of abstinence, though it may have begun with a much
more practical motive--affordability and equality to church-goers. Today
fish isn't always the cheapest and most available food.
VENTURA
St. Anthony's Annual Lenten Fish Fry in Ventura, CA is an event where the church
and community come to dine on fried fish.
