Spirit of Springfield President Judith A. Matt estimated up to 15,000 local residents would turn out for the event.
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SPRINGFIELD - Flash mob: (noun) a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and random act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and artistic expression.
Flash mob and flapjacks: apparently an unbeatable combination on a sunny Saturday morning in downtown Springfield.
A flash mob was one of the "World's Largest Pancake Breakfasts" premier draws, second only to the pancakes and syrup that drew hordes of people to Main Street to wait in long lines for a short stack. The massive breakfast's history in Springfield dates back to 1976 as the city celebrated its bicentennial and has perennially drawn thousands of people together from Greater Springfield.
Judith A. Matt, president of the Spirit of Springfield and the undisputed belle of the pancake ball, estimated as many as 15,000 would attend this year's breakfast given the glorious weather.
"She is the ringmaster of ceremonies of this circus we call the big pancake breakfast," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said from a podium, addressing the crowd as it began to swell around 9:30 a.m.
Organizers say the recipe for the event is pretty simple: 3,450 pounds of buttermilk flour; 800 pounds of eggs; 350 pounds of butter; 450 gallons of water; and topped with an additional 4,700 pounds of butter and 450 gallons of maple syrup. Made to order.
"My strategy is to find the shortest line," West Springfield resident Pamela Mathison-Morales said, while pushing her sons Alexander and Christoper, 5 and 2, in a stroller through the crowd. "This is a big event for Springfield and it's events like this that make Springfield a great place to live and work."
The pancake-fest also inevitably brings elected officials and political candidates hoping to fraternize with pliable voters with full stomachs.
"They were expertly done," City Councilor and candidate for Hampden County Clerk of Courts Thomas M. Ashe said of the pancakes. "Kudos to the mayor and Judy Matt. This was expertly done."
