The third Saturday of June for the past 51 years the World’s Largest Turkey Barbeque is held in my home stomping grounds of GriggsDakota. The town is Aneta, North Dakota, less than 250 people total population but on the third Saturday of June more turkeys are barbequed than population.
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| Grandpa Sonny with grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the Aneta City Park (We missed you Wyatt and Logan…busy baseball playing cousins who couldn’t join us.) |
Our family gathers each year for the grand turkey barbeque festivities. It starts early when my 86 year old grandfather brings my brothers and son to the city park to get the turkeys on the spits. This year they roasted 312 turkeys.
Hundreds of pounds of charcoal along with a lot of sweat and hard work go into the turkeys. A secret recipe of butter and spices are injected into each turkey.
The feasting begins at 4:30PM. But the line up starts much ahead of the kick off.
This past Saturday there was actually a Sheriff trying to get the line off the main highway.
This is the king turkey of the Aneta, North Dakota park. He welcomes you with a gobble when you walk by.
Our son Hunter began taking off turkeys at 4PM with my brother Joe.
The most experienced chef of the Aneta Turkey BBQ is my Grandpa Sonny. He oversaw and made sure every detail was done right this year with the turkeys. For decades, he did the work my brothers and son did this year only he was alongside his cousins and lifelong friends. Many of them are now gone but Grandpa remains, teaching the next generations to continue the Aneta Turkey BBQ traditions.
No one takes the role and responsibility more seriously than my brother Robbie.
The hard work pays off. There is no where you will eat a more divine turkey than in Aneta on the third Saturday of June each year.
My cousin Scott was our turkey carver in our line. 6 lines keep people moving and 3,000 people were served in 3 hours this past Saturday.
The feasting didn’t disappoint even the youngest in our family.
900 lbs. of potato salad and 800 lbs. of baked beans add to the feasting along with buns, butter, pickles and lemonade.
Hunter was pleased.
My brother Joe was equally pleased with his turkey leg.
An ice cream sandwich washed it all down for me.
My sister, grandma and I visited in the park with friends and relatives that we wait to see each year at the Aneta Turkey BBQ.
And I hope the tradition continues for generations to come.
What’s your favorite summer festival you attend and what’s on the menu?
I’m linking up today with Beyer Beware for Hunk of Meat Monday. Check out her post of Creamy Chicken Pesto and Bowties plus numerous other recipes that will feed your family this week.
oh that is an AWESOME town tradition and an amazing family tradition. i got SO hungry looking at those roasted/barbequed turkeys. 🙂
Nice seeing you at the BBQ Katie, I wish we could have visited more!
Marisa
312 turkeys! That’s amazing! And yum.
That is incredible. I didn’t know ND was so into cooking up turkey. First in the ground now 312 for a town bbq. Amazing. Thanks for linking up to Hunk of Meat Monday!
What an awesome event, and a great post! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day!
Miz Helen