Neighbors Line Up for 63rd Annual Brooklyn Park Smelt Fry

Hundreds of neighbors have already lined up this week for what could be the final Brooklyn Park Lions Smelt Fry.

But don’t worry — there’s still a plan to serve fried fish in the future.

Brooklyn Park Lions President Michael Crenshaw said there’s a smelt shortage, so they’ve run out of smelt fairly quickly each day of the fry.

Fortunately, they have another fish, pollock, to make sure plates are full.

“We are normally accustomed to getting 120-140 cases a year, and this year we ended up only getting 75,” Crenshaw said.

On the first day, 484 people showed up. Crenshaw expected another big turnout for Friday, April 24, the last day of the Smelt Fry for 2026.

It runs from 5-8 p.m on the Armory side of the Community Activity Center in Brooklyn Park. If you want some smelt, Crenshaw recommends lining up early.

“It unites the community,” Crenshaw said. “My biggest thing is, you know Brooklyn Park, we put the unity in community. And we’re all about the community. We’re all about serving the community, helping the community, and giving back to the community. If the community can show up for us, we can show up for it.”

Lions Club volunteers say some of the funds raised from the fry go back into local charitable causes. 

What’s Next?

Crenshaw said this could be the last year of the smelt fry as smelt supplies are so low, but they would transition to another style of fish fry in the future.

He knows how important the event is to the community, because it’s important to him, too.

“The fries will carry on, they’ll keep going. We will keep doing this,” Crenshaw said. 

Tickets for the smelt fry are $18 online and $20 at the door. 

This is one of many Brooklyn Park Lions events each year. To learn more about the club, and even join them yourself, you can visit their website.

One visitor wears this shirt from a previous smelt fry.

Brooklyn Park