Mitts 2 Pits Rocks Marshall's Fourth of July Concert with Epic Performance

For this week's food review, we're taking a slightly different approach. Instead of reviewing a restaurant meal, we're highlighting the people behind one of the area's most beloved Independence Day traditions.

Every Fourth of July, the community gathers around the Brooks Memorial Fountain in downtown Marshall for the annual Circle Concert.

It's a tradition that has been bringing families together for generations, complete with a children's bike parade, an old-fashioned hometown band concert, and one thing many attendees look forward to just as much as the music...the annual chicken dinner.

This year, however, there was a problem.

As the holiday approached, organizers still had not secured a vendor to prepare and serve the traditional chicken dinner.

With one of the event's signature traditions in jeopardy, someone suggested reaching out to Mitts 2 Pits Catering from Battle Creek.

Chef Benny and Denise Young accepted the challenge.

Taking on an event of this size with little time to prepare isn't something every caterer would be willing to do.

Naturally, there were questions throughout the Marshall community about whether they could pull it off.

My wife told me about a friend who called ahead to ask about purchasing meal tickets in advance, since previous vendors had often sold tickets before the event.

She was told there would be no advance ticket sales, which raised concerns that they might run out of food.

When she shared that with me, I couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry," I said. "Mitts 2 Pits can make it happen."

As we arrived at the event, the crowd was exactly what you'd expect for one of Marshall's biggest annual traditions.

Families filled the Circle, lawn chairs surrounded the fountain, children enjoyed the festivities, and the community band provided the perfect soundtrack for the evening.

Despite the large turnout, the food line never seemed to get out of hand.

The operation moved smoothly, and everyone I spoke with had nothing but compliments for the meal.

The chicken was getting rave reviews, and people seemed genuinely impressed with how efficiently everything was running.

Perhaps the best moment came as we were leaving after the concert had ended.

I snapped a photo of the serving line, and they were still serving meals.

After all the concerns leading up to the event, it was clear that Chef Benny, Denise Young, and the entire Mitts 2 Pits team had come prepared.

From my perspective, they didn't just meet expectations, they exceeded them.

Sometimes the best food stories aren't about fancy menus or new restaurants.

They're about neighbors stepping up when a community needs them, preserving a hometown tradition, and making sure everyone leaves with a full stomach and a smile.

I'd say Mitts 2 Pits pulled it off, and Marshall's Fourth of July tradition is better for it.

Who catered the 2026 Marshall Fourth of July Circle Concert?
Mitts 2 Pits Catering of Battle Creek stepped in at the last minute to provide the traditional chicken dinners for the annual Fourth of July Circle Concert at Brooks Memorial Fountain in Marshall, Michigan, successfully serving a large holiday crowd.

What is the Marshall Fourth of July Circle Concert?
The Marshall Fourth of July Circle Concert is a long-standing community tradition featuring a children's bike parade, a patriotic hometown band concert at Brooks Memorial Fountain, and the annual chicken dinner that has become a favorite part of the celebration for generations of local families and visitors.

Is Mitts 2 Pits Catering recommended for large community events?
Based on their performance at the Marshall Fourth of July Circle Concert, Mitts 2 Pits demonstrated they can successfully handle large community gatherings. They kept food service moving efficiently, received positive feedback from attendees, and had enough food to continue serving even after the concert concluded.