Downingtown’s famous “dinner with a kick” is back tomorrow night, Aug. 4, and if you’re a male and on the guest list, you’ll be able to take part in the one-of-a-kind festivities!
Every year since 1934, men have gathered at St. Anthony’s Lodge of Downingtown for the Annual Amphibious Order of Frogs Dinner (now in its 77th year) where women spend four days preparing frog legs, veal, chicken, salad and hot peppers to be served to some 1,000 men, along with all the beer they can drink.
The local lodge reveals that the annual tradition is a “celebration to bring together men from all over and from different walks of life to renew old friendships and fellowship.”
The frog leg feast’s roots date back to the Great Depression when a group of local teenagers living in the Johnsontown area used to catch frogs in the nearby Brandywine Creek. They’d shoot their prey with a .22, then cook them over a fire. Each year, descendants of the original founders, as well as members of all of the local businesses and their offspring, have continued to attend each year. Friends are offered tickets, too.
It’s important to remind you that the most unique tradition of this affair is that the partakers of the meal are entirely men, most of whom boast Italian backgrounds. Though the oldest committee members show no discrimination, this invite-only party stays within families and businesses. (But, I have to admit, I was so lucky to sneak into last year’s event for the inside scoop and yes, the frog legs are delicious!)
The wives and female relatives of the descendants serve the attending males, each year hoping to beat their record time of serving over 1,000 males in less than an hour. (Yes, they wear running shoes for the occasion and I wish them speedy success for this year’s event.)
For more information about St. Anthony’s Lodge of Church Street in Downingtown, visit www.saintanthonyslodge.com.
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