The 59th annual Cutchogue Fire Department Chicken Barbecue: photos

Two hundreds volunteers, nearly a year of planning and 3,500 chicken halves.
That’s what it takes to pull off the Cutchogue Fire Department’s chicken barbecue, an annual tradition that brings out thousands of community members to the department’s New Suffolk Avenue grounds each year. The event kicked off its 59th year on Saturday.
Nearly 3,300 people enjoyed chicken roasted over an open flame, fresh local corn, and potato, tomato and cucumber salads, under a tent that shaded them from an unrelenting August sun.
“This is a way for us to raise some money for our company,” said Chris Dinizio, a Cutchogue Fire Department member and the event’s chairperson. “It’s a week-long process to set up and it’s great to see it all come together.”
He thanked the volunteers, community members and sponsors that helped him pull off the event.
“It’s a great accomplishment to run something this big in my town,” he said. “But I wouldn’t be where I am if every one wasn’t helping.”
Caption: Cutchogue Fire Depart2ment members Ben Benediktsson and Will Park (right) tend to the enormous grill. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
See more photos below.









