A hungry crowd turned out last night for one of the summer’s most well-loved events — the Cutchogue Fire Department’s annual Chicken Barbecue.
The event, now in its 59th year, was organized by United Fire Company No. 1 and the Cutchogue Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.
Beginning around 4 p.m., fans of the event began to arrive, as dedicated volunteers manned the pits, some standing at the same pits their fathers before them had tended for years.
The event, steeped in tradition, highlights the best of North Fork life, with generations of families sharing chicken, potato salad, corn and memories as they sat around long tables in the twilight.
All told, over 3,200 dinners were served up, with ribs and sausage also on the menu.
The logistics of orchestrating the event are daunting: Over 3,500 chicken halves were cooked, on 5,000 lbs. of charcoal, along with 8,000 ears of corn and close to 1,800 lbs. of potato salad.
