Springfield hosts the ‘World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast’

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Flapjacks and maple syrup covered many people’s plates in Hampden County Saturday morning, part of the “World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast” celebrating the history of Springfield.

The event began nearly 50 years ago. The city of Springfield celebrated the country’s bicentennial in 1976 with a breakfast on Main Street. A decade later, Springfield hosted another breakfast event for the city’s 350th anniversary, beginning an annual competition with Battle Creek, Michigan, for the “World’s Largest Breakfast” title.

“They do a cereal breakfast, and they try to beat the numbers, and we do pancakes,” honorary chair of the “World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast” John Doleva said. “So it’s a little bit different, it’s not apples to apples, but I think we have them beat this year. They took a couple years off. Tony the Tiger is working hard, but Judy Matt and the Spirit of Springfield — she works a little bit harder. I think we’ll be that them out again this year.”

Bacon, eggs, hot coffee and local school bands added more flavor to the weekend meal.

“It’s a family tradition,” East Longmeadow resident Stephen Jessup said. I’ve been coming down here since the first one started and God willing, I’ll be coming here next year.”

“My wife is graduating from Elms College, which is happening right next door, and as we were dropping her off, she had to get here a little early,” Arlington resident Alex Hogrefe said. “We decided to walk around and we saw all these tables and realized there’s the ‘worlds biggest pancakes breakfast’ happening and we had to swing by.”

The annual breakfast recognizes the city of Springfield’s founding on May 14, 1636.

Doleva says the morning gathering is a celebration of the western Massachusetts community. 

“It’s been here a long time, it’s on everybody’s calendar,” Doleva said. “It’s run so well, the whole city comes together in terms of the city services, the hospitals, law enforcement, the sheriff’s office, everybody comes together to make this happen. It’s really a community effort and everybody loves it.”