There are plenty of barbecue fundraisers to choose from on the East End, but perhaps none is more popular than the one held by the Cutchogue Fire Department in late August.
Now in its 57th year, the summertime tradition is considered Long Island’s largest chicken barbecue, serving more than 3,000 people each year. Tickets sell out fast, so get ’em while you can.
The event attracts locals and visitors alike and, for many, marks the unofficial end of the summer on the North Fork.
Preparations for the barbeque begin at 8 a.m. with volunteers husking more than 6,000 ears of corn, making more than 1,000 pounds of potato salad and slicing hundreds of peaches, tomatoes and cucumbers for homemade salads prepared by the CFD Auxiliary.
Shortly after noon the fires are lit to roast more than 3,500 halves of chicken that are slow-cooked for four hours before being served toe hungry barbecue lovers.
After the food, CFD Marching Band enters the tent for a special performance to close out the night.
The barbeque will be on Saturday, August 24 on the Fire Department Grounds, at the intersection of Route 25 and New Suffolk Avenue in Cutchogue.
Food will be served at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are now available at the fire department for $25. Tickets often sell out quickly, so be sure to get yours in advance.
Tickets are good for takeout meals as well.
