Flathead Marines continue barbecue chicken dinner tradition

Half a chicken grilled over hot briquets and served with an ear of buttery corn, the barbecue chicken dinner at the Northwest Montana Fair and Rodeo has been a mouth-watering staple for generations. When the Flathead Marines took over the barbecue pit from the Whitefish VFW a few years back, they understood they were accepting a big responsibility.

President of the Flathead Marines Arthur Woolley remembers one of his co-workers telling him that eating the chicken dinner at the fair had been one of the highlights of his summer since childhood. When he learned that Woolley and the Flathead Marines would be in charge of the pit, he didn’t mince words telling him in no uncertain terms not to mess it up.

The barbecue chicken dinner dates back at least to the Kalispell Jaycees, who had the booth before the Whitefish VFW, according to Woolley. The “secret dry rub” made of herbs and spices that the Jaycees used is still part of the magic, along with the tradition of cooking the chicken over charcoal briquets rather than on a gas grill.