Pancake Day 2013 Food & Drink Event Feb 13, 2013

Pancake Day is synonymous with Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, and Mardi Gras, meaning that it is the day before Lent begins, surprisingly making Pancake Day somewhat of a religious holiday. Started and made famous in Olney, England, Pancake Day is an annual day for eating pancakes and watching the pancake race down Olney High Street to St. Peter and St. Paul church.

Dating back to 1445, Pancake Day has consisted of women racing down the street in headscarves and aprons, carrying a skillet with a pancake. Starting in 1950, the town of Liberal, Kansas has competed against Olney to see who has the fastest time in that year's pancake race. The race starts with all racers flipping their pancakes and then running to the church where, once they've crossed the finish line, they must flip their pancakes again to prove they still have them. The start of the race is signified by the ringing of the church bells, which are rung by a special bell ringer. The traditional prize for the winner of the pancake race is a kiss from the bell ringer, a tradition that persists to this day.

There is no entry fee nor viewing fee for the Pancake Day race. However, spots for runners are very limited, and all racers must be residents of their respective towns.