Poultry Days facts for kids

Poultry Days is a fun festival held every year in Versailles, Ohio. It celebrates the town's long history with the poultry industry, which started way back in the early 1900s. Versailles was once even called the "Poultry Capital of the World"! The festival officially began in 1951 as a small, one-day community picnic. Today, it has grown into an exciting three-day event.

The festival takes place annually at Versailles High School. It features thrilling rides, colorful parades, and exciting contests. Two popular contests are the "Miss Chick" pageant for high school girls and the "Little Miss Poultry Days" contest for younger girls aged 4 to 6. A highlight of the festival is the food! More than 25,000 "World Famous Poultry Days Barbecue Chicken Dinners" are served. In 1967, a giant omelet was made using 90 dozen eggs!

Poultry Days also hosts one of the world's largest Ultimate tournaments. It's called the Jeff Warrick Poultry Days Ultimate Classic. This tournament started with just two teams and now includes many teams from all over the United States and other countries.

In 1983, a famous actor named George Wendt visited the festival. He played "Norm Peterson" on the TV show Cheers. George Wendt came to thank Don Wick, a local high school counselor. Don Wick had helped save the Cheers show from being canceled after its first season.

History of Poultry Days

The Poultry Days Festival started as a single-day event held on a Thursday. It was a small community gathering at first. But it quickly grew, attracting visitors from nearby towns and even from as far as Dayton.

Festival Growth and Dates

In 1962, the festival expanded to two days, held on Wednesday and Thursday. By 1966, it moved to the weekend, taking place on Friday and Saturday. In 1969, fun carnival rides were added, making the festival even more exciting. Finally, in 1972, Poultry Days became a three-day event, running from Friday through Sunday. The festival now takes place every year on the second full weekend in June.

Food at the Festival

The food choices at Poultry Days have changed over the years. In the past, you could find an egg smorgasbord, turkey and noodles, turkey burgers, and deviled eggs. In 1974, delicious barbecued chicken was served throughout the entire festival. The first chicken dinners cost $1.25. They included half a chicken, a roll, butter, chips, cranberry salad, pickles, and a choice of coffee or pop.

In 1952, about 125 volunteers helped build and run the barbecue pits. By 1970, so many chicken dinners were being sold that local volunteers needed help. A partnership began with Nelson's BBQ, a company that still provides chicken for Poultry Days today. This festival is their biggest event of the year!

The early chicken serving lines were run by "The Ladies Serving Committee." The men managed the barbecue pits. A drive-through line was added in 2001. Today, the operation runs very smoothly. In 2014, they served about 1,300 dinners per hour, sometimes even reaching 2,000 dinners per hour! That's a dinner every two seconds.

Miss Chick and Little Miss Pageants

The first "Miss Chick" was Bonnie Sue Besecker from Laura, Ohio, crowned in 1952. The festival continues to celebrate bright, energetic young women. The pageant has had as many as 112 contestants from all over Ohio and beyond. Today, it is open to young ladies from Darke and surrounding counties. A new tradition began in 1985 when Trisha Rhoades became the first "Little Miss Poultry Days."

Parades and Entertainment

Around 1957 or 1958, Colonel Warner Nichols started the Grand Parade. After he passed away in 1965, John "Red" Elson took over. Red also started the popular Antique Car parade in 1973, which is now run by the Dickman Family. In the late 1960s, the Versailles Fire Department began organizing the Grand Parade. Both parades continue today and feature over 100 units each year, making them some of the largest in the region. Community leaders who volunteer their time are honored as the Grand Parade Marshall.

In the early 1970s, Poultry Days tried to break the world record for the largest egg omelet. They tried again in 1982. This led to an omelet nearly 9 feet wide! It used 22,128 eggs, 100 pounds of onions, and 100 pounds of ham. These ingredients were mixed in a concrete mixer. The special omelet pan was displayed for many years.

The Giant Chicken float first appeared in the late 1980s. It was bought to help promote Versailles. In 1996, people started painting chickens on the streets to welcome visitors. This also helped show where board members and special guests were located. A festival theme began in 1987.

In 1974, a social tent was set up. It was the first official social tent in the area to serve refreshments on a closed State Highway. Over the years, the festival has featured many types of entertainment, from orchestras to modern bands.

Ultimate Tournament for Charity

In 1983, a group of friends from Versailles started the first Poultry Days Ultimate Frisbee Championship. This happened after their hometown team, the Blue Meanies, won against the Diamond Dawgs of Dayton. The annual tournament has become a top event, attracting thousands of players and friends to Versailles each year. Players from across the United States and international teams visit Versailles and receive a warm welcome.

The event was first called the Poultry Days Ultimate Tournament. In 1990, it was renamed the Jeff Warrick Poultry Days Ultimate Classic. This was in honor of Jeff Warrick and then Dan Goubeaux, who both passed away from Leukemia. Since then, money raised from the tournament has been donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. This event has its own traditions, including an egg-eating contest for charity. Ultimate players also hope to be chosen as "Mr. Cluck" by the Miss Chick winner.

Heritage Park

On July 4, 1985, Poultry Days dedicated Heritage Park. It was first planned as a new location for the festival. But it grew into a 40-acre park with ponds, a walking track, shelter houses, and sports fields. Many Ultimate players stay at the park each summer. Poultry Days continues to help fund the park. An independent Heritage Park Board now manages it. Poultry Days has donated over $700,000 to the park in the last 10 years.

Even though Versailles has only about 2,687 residents, Poultry Days attracts over 50,000 people during the festival weekend. In 2002, a record 26,101 chicken dinners were sold. The festival is quickly getting close to selling its one millionth dinner!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person festival in 2020 was canceled. However, chicken dinners were still available for drive-thru pickup.