The 21st annual Meals on Wheels and Park and Recreation co-sponsored Veterans Lasagna Dinner is back and in-person for the first time in three years and organizers said they are gearing up for a celebration of the town’s heroes and a welcoming community event. This year’s meal will feature a number of offerings along with lasagna, according to organizers.

The event will be held on Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center. Christi Burton, director of Meals on Wheels and executive director of Guilford Interfaith Volunteers, said participants are thrilled the event will be held in-person this year.

“We are really excited to be back with an in-person event this time. The last two years we’ve done a drive-thru, but this year we have one of two options. You can come in and sit down with friends and eat at the Community Center, or you can swing by and pick up a meal, too. Some people still aren’t comfortable being in crowds, so we have both options this year,” said Burton.

Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and all-around town chef, Larry Santamaria, will be once again dishing out his famous lasagna — both carnivore and vegetarian versions — along with other tasty treats.

“Larry and his food are legends. Everyone who knows Larry knows what a great cook he is,” said Burton. “Larry is the chef on this, and his lasagna is famous among his other creations.”

The event is a special way for the Guilford community to come together and celebrate veterans, as a fun event for anyone in need of good conversation with friends and as a critical fundraiser for Meals on Wheels, Burton said.

“It is to do two things, one is to honor our veterans, and veterans eat for free. And two, this helps support Meals on Wheels. The last two years we had to have a drive-thru only event, so this is great for us to be back and in-person,” said Burton. “Showing some gratitude to our vets is always important, and this event is also a big fundraiser for Meals on Wheels, so we’re hoping for a great turnout.”

Volunteers, including state and town officials, will be delivering meals to local residents, and local vendors have also contributed heavily for the raffles, Burton said. Some of the many businesses donating and sponsoring the event, include Ballou’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, Page Hardware, Salon H, Village Green Garden, Flowers on the Green, Hidden Kitchen, Fortes Gourmet Market, Frank’s Package Store, Ella’s, Nick’s Place, Strawberry Hollow Farm, Naples Pizza, Village Chocolatier, Flutterby, BSK Designs, Breakwater Books, and Tea and Spice.

“Numerous businesses have donated for raffles during the event. Cadillac John Saville will be DJing, and folks will have a lot of fun. The meal cost is $18 and free for veterans,” Burton said.

The meal will feature vegetarian or meat lasagna, salad, bread, and desert. Reservations must be made by Saturday, Nov. 5.

The organizers are asking patrons to prepay to make the logistics run smoother for both pickups and seatings. For more information or to register, call 203-453-8359.