Wintry forecast leads to postponement of this 79-year Wichita tradition
Let the cancellations and postponements commence.
One of the early victims of this weekend’s predicted snow and cold temperatures is an annual church dinner that has historically helped warm the winter season in Wichita.
The 79th annual St. Paul’s United Methodist Chicken Noodle Dinner was set to happen this coming Saturday, Jan. 24, at the church at 1356 N. Broadway.
But because of weekend forecasts calling for wind chills as low as negative 15 and the possibility of several inches of snow, the organizers have decided to postpone the dinner for a week. It will now happen next Saturday, Jan. 31.
Organizer Robert Scott said that he doesn’t believe that the dinner has ever been postponed because of weather, even though it historically happens in January.
Making the decision to move the event wasn’t easy, he said, but for so many reasons, it wasn’t worth the gamble to go ahead with it. The dinner is the church’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and members don’t want to put it on when people will be reluctant to get out.
Not only that, Scott said, but the dinner — which since the COVID-19 pandemic has been a drive-through only event — relies on young volunteers to run food to cars, and the church doesn’t want to subject them to bitter temperatures.
“It’s going to be one of those days when you wake up and look out at the weather and say, ‘I’m sure glad I don’t have to get out,’” Scott said.
Volunteers had already started cooking the 1,000 pounds of poultry it uses for the dinner, but all the work has been paused and will resume next week, Scott said.
His Wednesday has so far been consumed with calling all the people who make the dinner happen, including the dozens of volunteers who signed up to bake cakes and pies.
Other than happening a week later, the other details of the dinner will remain unchanged: Meals of homemade chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw and desserts will cost $12 a person. People also will be able to purchase items individually.
For more information about the dinner, people can call the church office at 316-267-3263.
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 12:16 PM.
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