Pancake Day is always on Shrove Tuesday, which is the beginning of Lent. Some people refer to it as “Fat Tuesday.” By Ancient tradition , the use of cooking fats is forbidden until after Easter. In Old England it was customary for the housewives to drop whatever they were doing and hurry to the church at the tolling of the bell to be “shriven” of their sins.
On one fateful morning in Olney England in 1445, the church bells announcing the shrive service to start Lent rang five minutes too early. Caught off guard, one housewife was busy making pancakes. She immediately ran 415 yards to church with her skillet and pancakes still in hand. A legend and a tradition were worn. Every Year for the last 575 Years the event has been commemorated with a race of apron-clad women carrying skillets. During the second world war , England Pilots were trained in Liberal Ks. They brought the pancake race custom with them. In Liberal, the event started in 1950 when R.J. Leete of the Liberal Jaycees issued a challenge to Reverend Ronald Collins, Vicar of Olney, to make it an international event with the two towns having a friendly competition to see who could run the 415 yard course the fastest. For more then seven decades, Liberal Kansas and Olney England face off each Strove Tuesday. The International Race is run at 11:55 a.m. in both communities and is open only to adult women who perform “housewifely” duties. Runners are still required to wear a skirt, headscarf and apron and run while carrying a skillet and pancake. The pancake must be flipped at the start and the finish to show it is still there. Since they started comparing scores, Liberal leads Olney with 39-30 wins as of 2020!
Pancake Breakfast Seward County Activity Center, 810 Stadium Road. 6:00-10:00 a.m.
The International Pancake Day Hall of Fame, 318 N. Lincoln, sits at the finish line of the International Race and offers visitors a glimpse of the rich history of the event. The ground floor includes displays of items from past events as well as items given to Liberal by Olney through the years. Official Pancake Day merchandise is also for sale.
The second floor includes an area to watch videos of past races and look at scrapbooks put together through the years, in addition to an office and board room. While the Hall of Fame is not open all the time, those interested in touring or having a meeting at the Hall of Fame may call the Pancake Day Hall of Fame at 620-624-6423 to arrange a tour. 318 N. Lincoln, P.O. Box 665 Liberal, KS 67905 Website: www.pancakeday.net
