Lions to Serve Up Chops, Chicken, Pancakes, Dogs

This weekend, a tradition returns as a big tent goes up on the Hamilton County Courthouse Square, and the Noblesville Lions set up tables and chairs for the Club’s annual Pork Chop Dinner, which this year has been renamed as “Grillin’ on the Square.”

Friday morning, the Lions will be up early putting pork chops on the grill for lunch, which will be served from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Regular and barbecue-style chops, baked beans and potato salad are always on the menu, and last year added chicken to the growing menu to give the community a larger choice, and another reason to stop by for lunch or dinner. There are also hot dogs for kids. Plus, a lot of fabulous desserts, an array of cookies and just about any pie flavor that comes to mind.

“We decided on a name change due to offering chicken, and hot dogs for the kids, all of this besides pork chops,” said Noblesville Lion Jake Doll. “We also felt the name change would create some more interest in attendance.”

The evening hours of the dinner will take place during the 11th annual Darlington Bed Race organized by the Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville, at 7 p.m. on the Square, in partnership with Noblesville Main Street.

Offering this two-day Lions food event for the community has become a tradition for the Lions.

“This is important for the organization to come together and get to know each other. Meeting twice a month for an hour or two (for meetings) is good, but working together for two days brings us closer,” event co-chairman Gordon Resler of Noblesville has said.

Gene Beck, also of Noblesville and a longtime Lion, had been Pork Chop Dinner event chairman for many years, but in 2021 he was joined by Resler as co-chairman. In 2022, Resler and his wife, Jeannie, took over and share the job as co-chairs.

He said, “Our duties are to be sure things run smoothly, thank as many as possible for supporting us,” he said. “Jeannie is in charge of pie cutting and serving.”

“Gene and the entire team has been remarkable to learn from,” Resler has said.

“The Lions Pork Chop Dinners on the Courthouse Square have been a tradition for over 30 years and have been the club’s major source of financial support to all of our community projects,” Noblesville Lion Rollin Cutter has said. He annually organizes the volunteers for this weekend.

The Lions decided about 16 years ago that since their tent was already up for the weekend, the Lions would serve a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, and it’s still going. The Lions will serve pancakes and sausage 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday.

In 2021, the Lions started accepting credit cards and added drive-thru service on Eighth Street.

In 2022, serving a pork chop BBQ, and adding chicken for a choice on the menu, plus pancakes and sausage links for breakfast means a lot of planning and a lot of work for the Noblesville Lions.

They plan for this busy weekend many months in advance.

The planning begins with reserving a space on the Square and renting a tent, tables and chairs. The menu is planned. “Pork chops, potato salad and baked beans have been the tradition for nearly 30 years,” Cutter has said. “Our local Meijer has been our supplier of those great chops most of the years.” For many years, the pork chops were prepared on charcoal grills until 2015 when Schwartz Bait & Tackle donated a gas grill. And a bunch of local businesses have been supportive, evident from the advertising in the tent and on the placemats.

The tent goes up at 6:30 p.m. today to be prepared for a busy Friday. Once pork chop day arrives, Lions take their different jobs. About 60 Lions usually volunteer their time. Some of their wives help, too. Some as pie cutters.

Skilled backyard grillers take their place at the grills, cooking pork chops all day for hungry mouths.

The pork chop dinner’s first year, in 1984, Lions sold 300 pounds of pork chops, and has grown to serve nearly 700 pounds of chops, or about 1,400 chops. Also, about 75 pounds of potato salad, 36 pounds of baked beans and 150 pies have been traditionally served up to hungry guests.

Resler said, for this weekend, they’ll start with 200 pounds of pork chops, 120 pounds of chicken and 100 hot dogs, plus 18 10-pound cans of beans and 50 pounds of potato salad.

“To complete that, we are offering a slice of pie. To wash that down, we will have ice tea or lemonade or water,” Resler said.

Lions staff the line stations to provide customers with trays, utensils, chops, potato salad, baked beans, drinks, plus some great desserts.

The Lions’ first shift is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with members working the grills, serving food, preparing carry-out meals, taking money and more. Lions who volunteer for the second shift, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., do all of the same jobs plus prep the tent for the morning pancake breakfast. Another shift comes in at 6 a.m. Saturday to cook and serve pancakes and help with cleanup until noon.

Noblesville High School Leo Club — which formed in September 2016 and sponsored by the Noblesville Lions, who are nurturing the next generation to take over — also volunteer at the event by clearing tables, cleaning trays and welcoming patrons, friends and neighbors, Doll said.

Leo Club members are invited to show up, and the Lions find a place for them both Friday evening and Saturday morning at the food event.

Lunch or dinner are $13 in advance, $15 at the door (and come with sides, pie and a drink); and pancakes are $6 for adults and $4 for youth. There is also a silent auction with lots of cool donated items to help raise money for their causes.

“We thank the Noblesville community for their past support and strongly encourage everyone to support our event,” Cutter has said.

“We Serve” is the Lions’ motto.

Since the club’s chartering on May 9, 1942 (the Noblesville Lions celebrated 80 years in 2022), its members have worked on a variety of projects in the local community such as KidSight, a vision screening program that Noblesville Lions members conduct at area preschools, and working with local schools to identify and provide glasses for needy students. In addition, scholarships are awarded to local seniors, support is provided to youth sports and cultural activities, and personal dictionaries are given to Noblesville third-graders.

The profit from Grillin’ on the Square and the sale of food at the annual Father’s Day Car Show — pork chops on a stick, hot dogs, chips, soft drinks and water — are used for scholarships, eye-testing program, leader dogs for the blind, providing eye glasses for those in need and other projects to be determined, Resler said. Grillin’ on the Square and the Father’s Day Car Show are the Lions’ two major fundraisers each year)

The Lions also participate each year in the Fourth of July and Christmas parades in Noblesville, featuring Stanley the Lion, the Club’s mascot, who has made appearances at various Lions events.

“The benefits of this (weekend) event is to fund the many community projects of our local Lions Club, but we have also enjoyed the opportunity to get to know many people in the community and even in our own club.” Cutter has said. “It’s a fun event that supports our goal.”

Resler has been a Lion for four years. “I get so much enjoyment out of working with this group on all of our projects,” he said. “The eye testing in schools is rewarding when we can help identify site problems with a child. Providing scholarships to outstanding students is great.”

-Betsy Reason writes about people, places and things in Hamilton County. Contact The Times Editor Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.

Want TO GO?

What: Noblesville Lions Club’s “Grillin’ on the Square,” featuring the annual pork chop dinner and pancakes breakfast.

When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday for dinner, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday for pancakes breakfast.

Where: Table seating under a big tent on the Hamilton County Courthouse Square in downtown Noblesville.

How much: Pork chops or chicken are $13 in advance, $15 at the door (and come with sides, pie and a drink); hot dog dinners (with chips and drink) Friday will be $8 for kids. Pancakes are $6 for adults, $4 for kids.

What else: There will be a drive-thru on Eighth Street, and credit cards will be accepted in the drive-thru and at the tent. There will also be the annual silent auction.

Good to know: The Lions Club meets the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Ginger’s Cafe in Noblesville.

Info: Visit https://www.facebook.com/noblesvillelionsclub or email noblesvillelions@gmail.com.

What else: The Friday night Lions event will take place during the 11th annual Darlington Bed Race organized by the Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville, at 7 p.m. on the Square, in partnership with Noblesville Main Street, and free to spectators. The Noblesville Main Street Duck Race, presented by the Gordon Family of Companies, activities are noon to 3 p.m., Saturday with the duck drop of 2,500 rubber ducks at 2:30 p.m. off of Logan Street Bridge. Buy a duck ticket for $5 each and if your duck is the first across the finish line, win $1,000, with second- and third-place ducks at $500 each, plus more prizes. There is also Noblesville Schools Education Foundation’s “Amazing Miller Scavenger Hunt” on Saturday, with registration at https://www.noblesvilleschoolseducationfoundation.org. On Saturday night, Legacy Keepers Music kicks off its annual free StringTime on the Square first-Saturday-of-the-month outdoor music series, with Rock Bottom Boys of Madison County performing 6:30-8:15 p.m., with Addie McMillan singing The National Anthem, with lawn chairs and blankets invited, and donations accepted.