St. Anthony’s annual Fisherman’s Breakfast is back. The free breakfast feeds thousands every year and is a long-held tradition in St. Anthony.
Vice President of the St. Anthony Chamber of Commerce Nolan Vander Linden says the tradition began in the 1950s. Residents wanted to motivate people passing through to stop in the town and visit businesses. They began giving free breakfast to fishermen who passed through St. Anthony on the way to Island Park and other fishing spots. The breakfast consisted of coffee and a donut.
The breakfast has expanded to include the entire community and now features pancakes, hashbrowns, sausages and beverages. The St. Anthony Chamber of Commerce runs the event with the help of volunteers and donations. Vander Linden says that about 100 volunteers are needed to run the event.
“None of this can happen without the good people getting involved,” Vander Linden said. “Time is the biggest donation that we need from people.”
Vander Linden hopes that attendees leave the breakfast with a sense of unity.
“I hope they just leave with a full belly for one, that’s our object,” Vander Linden said. “And a sense of unity among our small town. Even though we get a lot of strangers, you won’t be a stranger long.”
Although the largest attendance at the breakfast was about 11,000, this year Vander Linden expects between 4,000-5,000. The breakfast returns on May 27 at Keefer Park in St. Anthony.