Search
The Calf Fry Festival, featuring the delicacy of ranch culture, is gearing up to feed and entertain the crowds who will flock to this Northeastern Oklahoma event.
It was 1979, when three businessmen in Vinita, Oklahoma, were given the task of finding an activity that would represent the area, and be fun for the public. The Vinita Area Chamber of Commerce President, John Burckhalter had been looking for a new, high-visibility event, and the three had been asked to come up with suggestions.
Jim Shelton contacted a friend in west Texas about a “Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry” held each year. “After talking to him (the Texan) we decided there would be no conflict.” Vinita quickly became the self-proclaimed “Calf Fry Capitol of the World,” said Shelton. Fellow organizers Larry Green and John Myers agreed, and a few months later the World’s Largest Calf Fry Festival and Cook-off became a reality in Vinita.
The Calf Fry Festival has grown each year, from an initial attendance of 600 in Year One to over 3,000. The World’s Largest Calf Fry Festival and Cook-off is held the first Saturday in June of every year, at the Craig County Fairgrounds. Nearly 1,000 pounds of calf fries are fried and consumed, on this eventful day, to welcome visitors from across the region to sample the tasty fare.
In addition to the Cook-Off, there are cowboy games, children’s games, arts & crafts and much more.
For those afraid to venture into the gourmet world of calf-fry tasting, other mouth-
watering food items such as Cobblers, Cowboy beans, Cowboy Breads, Hot Dogs, and more are available. There are few events anywhere as unique as the “World’s Largest Calf Fry Festival.” For more information about the event check our website: www.vinita.com.
Make plans now to be in Vinita, OK on June 4th 2016, for the 37th Annual World’s Largest Calf Fry Festival. Gates open to public at 11:00AM. Tasting kits are $10 and tasting begins at 12 noon. See you there!