Vinland ? Forty-five minutes after the doors opened, scores of people sat at tables and enjoyed their meals in the exhibition building at the Vinland Fairgrounds.

Others waited patiently in a line that had snaked outside about 50 feet. The lucky ones at the front held out their $5 plates as fair board volunteers heaped pancakes and sausage onto them.

The Vinland Fair Whole-Hog Sausage and Pancake Supper has been used as a fundraiser for about 50 years to support the annual fair, which will be in its 99th installment Aug. 10-12.

“When we get ready to set up the fair, it’s pretty much a community event. If we didn’t have our volunteers, we couldn’t do it,” said Mary Gensler, who has been the fair board’s treasurer since 1990.

Typically between 350 to 500 people attend the supper that can raise between $1,000 to $1,500 for the fair, Gensler said.

The fair’s founders, Vinland Grange members, originally started the supper. It used to be on Groundhog Day at the Vinland Grange Hall.

Nora Cleland, left, pushes her husband, Miles Cleland, as he receives a serving of butter from Verdeania Zeller, all of Vinland, during the Vinland Fair Whole-Hog Sausage and Pancake Supper. The Saturday night fundraiser for the fair was at the Vinland Fairgrounds.

Saturday evening, fair board members flipped pancakes as the sweet smell of syrup filled the building. Sizzling sausage could be heard among the community members’ conversations.

Joyce and Tom Hobson, of Baldwin, have been longtime supporters of the fair. They gave the cooks good reviews after they finished their pancakes and sausage. “It was very good. We always enjoy it,” Joyce Hobson said.

“We enjoy the friendly atmosphere,” Tom Hobson said.

Gensler and other fair volunteers spent time chatting with friends who came in the door. Some of them had attended the event for many years. But the volunteers also hoped some new faces would show up. “A lot of times the rest of the family follows through. That’s what we like the best,” Gensler said. She grew up in the area and has participated often in the fair’s activities. “I think we enjoy the camaraderie. It’s like a big picnic,” Gensler said.