One of the events Leelanau County locals make sure to mark on their calendars each summer are for the Catholic Church Chicken Dinners. Not only were the dinners a source of entertainment with plays, music, dancing, singing, and games, the dinners served as a communal festival to celebrate the summer season, engaging the congregations of the peninsula and the broader community. At one time, there were five different locations throughout the Leelanau Peninsula for the Chicken Dinners hosted by the local Catholic parishes. Sadly, in 2025, there are only two remaining Chicken Dinner events: St. Wenceslaus in Gills Pier on June 22 and Holy Rosary in Cedar on July 27.