NORWICH – Although no one seems to be quite certain of when the St. Bartholomew’s spaghetti dinner originated, the annual pasta feast has proven to be a heavily anticipated event for organizers and community members year after year. Hundreds gathered at the East Main Street Msg. Fest Parish Center to dine on an Italian custom plate full of spaghetti and meatballs last night and hundreds more are expected to attend tonight as the church hosts the second evening of its beloved ritual.

“This has been going on for a long, long time. We think it’s close to 65 years now,” explained Nan Magistro, a longtime member of St. Bart’s spaghetti supper committee. “It’s one of those things that everyone really looks forward to every year.”

The time-honored feast, also assisted by parishioners of St. Paul’s, spans two nights and with the help of more than 100 volunteers offering to prepare, cook, clean, serve and entertain guests, there’s no shortage of hands to attend to the expected 1,000 guests this year, Magistro said. “We’re very thankful for those volunteers,” she added. “If we couldn’t get enough volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to run this.”