Volunteers at the St. Joseph Church in downtown Louisville prepare orders of fried fish on the first Friday in Lent.(Justin Hicks)This week an estimated 200,000 Catholics in the Louisville area began observing Lent. It’s a period of reflection before the Easter celebration.For the faithful, Lent o ften means giving up a habit out of penance and refraining from eating meat on Fridays for 40 days. But luckily for all of us – Catholic or not – centuries ago the church made an exception that fish was alright.These days, Friday fish meals often lean heavier into fundraising than religious dogma. And places beyond churches, like fraternities and civic organizations, are also in on the fish fry game.If you’ve never attended a fish fry, think of it like a big community picnic at a local church. Volunteers take to the cafeteria to fry up large planks of fish, often cod and sometimes catfish, and serve it on bread that’s laughably smaller than the filet inside. Favorite sides include mac and cheese, green beans, onion rings and hush puppies.Not every location has a fish fry every Friday, and some offer food at lunch and dinner. This year, Easter is Sunday, April 5.Use the guide and the filters for dates, meals and more to find your fry. If you know of one that’s not included, drop us a line at [email protected] story has been updated. ...read more read less