HISTORY
Follow the timeline of our Famous BBQ Chicken!
1912
Long before there was a Crane Broiler Festival, there was a Crane Fair, which started the tradition of the community gathering together for a fun-filled event.
1952
The First Annual Missouri Broiler Festival and Barbeque was held on October 9, 1952, as a one-day event.
This festival was sponsored by the Southwest Missouri Broiler Growers Association, which was composed of approximately 60 broiler producers from the North Stone County area.
About 5,000 broilers were barbequed for the first annual event. A “broiler” is a small, young chicken raised for meat.
It’s estimated that about 6,000 to 7,000 people attended this first Broiler Festival.
1953
The festival grew into a two-day event held the first weekend of September.
1970
A carnival was added to the festival in the early ‘70s. The same decade, the arts and crafts fair was also added to the festival.
1979
A non-profit corporation, The Crane Broiler Festival Association, was formed to ensure that the festival continued.
Information and photos are courtesy of The Stone County Historical/Genealogical Society
Visit their website or stop by the museum at 117 South Main Street in Crane!