Chicken Broil still a big event for Manchester!
Out of town guests enjoyed their Chicken Broil dinners. Photo courtesy of Colleen Schoenfeld.
by Marsha Chartrand
A constant among the traditions of Manchester for more than 70 years, another Chicken Broil has come and gone. While other events have faded from our memories, the Chicken Broils just bring a little extra to those memories: when they used to eat at picnic tables on the Athletic Field … the initiation of take-outs in boxes. … the evolution of those boxes to now provide business ads to diners … and the big one, the drive-through line, which has almost become a tradition of its own!
If you thought Sunday was a wind-down “day off” for the Chicken Broil team, you’d be wrong. Chair Jeff Mann was overseeing the cleanup before going home to relax with spreadsheets of attendance, potential profits, and recapping all those big numbers. Sound like a relaxing time?
Mann shared what preliminary numbers he had available: “We were down in numbers this year; we served around 6,100 dinners in just under three hours, which is about 700 dinners less than last year. We had almost the exact same number come through the drive-through, but the biggest decline was in those eating on the field.”
That can be mostly attributed to the threat of weather and rain around the area.
“The people who did eat on the field were treated to the live music, and the kids especially had a good time in the bounce house and playing in the foam machine. We had hoped for a better attendance, but with the threat of weather looming, we had a great day, considering,” he added. “It could have been a lot worse.”
The event did make money, though. Mann assured us they will be able to fulfill all of the commitments they had pledged this year: the greenhouse at Klager Elementary School and the new block M for the new entrance to the athletic complex. The final numbers will be a few weeks away after all of the outstanding invoices can be reconciled.
“All in all it was a great year considering the weather,” Mann continued. “We would like to thank all of our sponsors, all of our volunteers, and all of the diners that came out to support our community. We are going to do it again next year! So we’ll see you on Saturday, July 18, 2026!”
Chickens on the pits! Photo courtesy Colleen Schoenfeld.
The big chicken had a somewhat smaller friend to accompany her this year! Photo courtesy Colleen Schoenfeld.
Chicken Broil merchandise did a brisk business. Photo courtesy Colleen Schoenfeld.
Waiting for the first dinners to come off the line. Photo courtesy Colleen Schoenfeld.
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