Costa Mesa’s Lions Park is a scene of fishy frivolity this weekend as the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club’s annual Fish Fry and Carnival thrills audiences with games, rides, live entertainment — and, of course, lots and lots of fish.
Visitors to the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Fish Fry at Lions Park in 2023 try their hand at carnival games.
(Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club)
A volunteer pulls fries fresh from the fryer at the Costa Mesa Fish Fry at Lions Park in 2023.
(Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club)
The beloved local tradition is celebrating 80 years of fun for a good cause, as proceeds raised during the event help fun the club and a host of scholarship and grant recipients, including Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Save Our Youth and Costa Mesa and Estancia high school athletics.
In addition to the $15 fish dinners, which pair crispy battered Alaskan cod with creamy coleslaw and a pile of fries, visitors may also purchase meals from food trucks and tents on the property and enjoy a beer and wine garden. Community and vendor booths are also offering activities and information.
Started by club members 1946 to raise funds for Lions Park’s Luke Davis Field, the event formerly included a street parade, prizes and the crowning of a Miss Fish Fry and Most Beautiful Baby contest. It later relocated to Fairview Park but returned to its namesake spot in 2022.
The 80th Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry opened Friday evening and continues Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with fish dinners served from noon to 8 p.m., at Lions Park, 570 18th St., in Costa Mesa.
Admission is free, and food, beverages and ride tickets are available for purchase. For details, visit costamesalionsclub.com.
— Daily Pilot Staff
Organizers of the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club Fish Fry at Lions Park, which ran Friday through Sunday, said turnout was low this year.
(Costa Mesa-Harbor Lions Lions Club)
