For the longest time we knew it as the famous Sertoma Chicken Barbecue at Long's Park. Then in 2019 it was rebranded as the Civitas chicken barbecue. Civitas has announced that the annual chicken barbecue is going away citing increasing costs, decreasing demand, and a lack of volunteers as the reasons for discontinuing the event.
Civitas Lancaster's President Nicki Nafziger said "this was a very difficult for us to make because so many people have been a part of this event for decades. But it no longer makes financial sense for us to expend the effort it takes to run this huge undertaking for the small return we are now generating."
The event was originally organized by the Sertoma Club of Lancaster in 1953 and continued after Civitas Lancaster stepped away from Sertoma and re-branded in 2019. Civitas Lancaster will reportedly continue the support of Long's Park through club managed resources.
Source: WHP
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