POULSBO — With piping hot lefse griddles and fresh bundles of the Norwegian bread piling up, the Poulsbo Sons of Norway’s lutefisk dinner preparations kicked into high gear Monday morning.

More than a dozen volunteers filled the lodge’s kitchen as minutes ticked by and Saturday’s ninth annual event neared.

And while the pace at Grieg Hall is frenetic, those preparing the Norwegian fare were anything but, belying a peace of mind that comes with experience.

“Come and enjoy a traditional Norwegian celebration in beautiful downtown Poulsbo,” said Sons publicity director Darlene Berge as she continued making lefse.

The menu is full of options and features “wonderful” meatballs for those looking for something other than lutefisk for lunch, Berge said.

Even though the event will feature a variety of traditional Scandinavian delights, it is about more than just the food, said organizer Jane Speer.

“It’s a cultural celebration, because it’s part of our Norwegian heritage,” Speer said, adding that the dinner brings the lodge’s generations together as the Sons’ younger set will be dancing and bussing tables throughout the day. “The high school kids do the cleanup, and we really appreciate it.”

The lodge’s Leikerringen children’s dance group will also perform three times during the event as part of that cultural celebration.

While the Poulsbo lodge celebrated its 90th anniversary in February, its lutefisk dinner is less than a decade old and doesn’t have the notoriety of other local lutefisk events, she said.

“We’re not as big as some of the others, but that’s fine with us,” she said, adding that event’s size contributes to its cultural feel.

Like the other lutefisk dinners at First Lutheran Church in Poulsbo and the Sons of Norway Oslo Lodge in Bremerton, the Poulsbo lodge’s has its share of faithful diners who return each year and speak the praises of its version of the delicacy.

Port Townsend’s New Day Fisheries, which provides the codfish dish for the event, has assured everyone that it’s not lye-soaked, even though it used to be, she said.

Despite, or, possibly due to such changes in preparation, the delicacy has gotten better with time, SON members agreed.

“We’re making it so good that it’s the poor man’s lobster almost,” Speer said with a hearty chuckle.

And even though lutefisk will be squarely in the menu spotlight at the event, the lodge also takes special pride in its lefse, Speer said.

“Because of Kaffe Stua, it’s something we do every week, so we’re well-practiced,” said Kathy Moncrief, who was busy preparing lefse in the lodge’s kitchen. Kaffe Stua is the lodge’s weekly traditional Norwegian luncheon that is held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday.

More than anything else, the week leading up to the event is an opportunity to spend time with friends and renew acquaintances that have been made through the years, Speer said.

“It’s about the camaraderie and all of us coming together with it,” she said, adding that in recent years the core group of volunteers has seen an influx of younger women willing to help keep the tradition alive.