The Oklahoma Mix-Up That Created the Chicken Dance

This might be one of the strangest bits of Oklahoma trivia you’ll ever hear — the story of how Oklahoma accidentally invented the Chicken Dance. It all started with a simple case of the wrong costume.

The song itself goes back decades. It was written by a Swiss composer in the 1950s, and it almost instantly became a polka classic that spread around the world through small-town festivals, and Oklahoma weddings... If you know, you know.

Think The Lawrence Welk Show kind of energy.

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Originally known as the “Duck Dance” across Europe, the tune made its way into Oktoberfests everywhere. The English called it “The Birdy Dance.” But when it finally reached America, specifically the Tulsa Oktoberfest, it took on an entirely new meaning.

Tulsa’s Oktoberfest Mishap

Today, Tulsa’s Oktoberfest is ranked among the best German festivals in the world, just behind Munich itself. But back in 1981, it was still getting its footing. Rain soaked the festival grounds that year, and organizers weren’t sure anyone would even show up for a weekend of mud and polka.

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Tulsa’s local KJRH Channel 2 showed up expecting a washout story, but Oklahomans have never been scared off by bad weather. To help draw a crowd, the crew decided to broadcast some live music and dancing.

The Duck Dance was catching on at the time, so they planned to feature it. Channel 2 even offered to bring a duck costume for the bit.

When Ducks Become Chickens

Someone from the station ran back to grab the old duck suit from storage, but it turned out to be a chicken costume instead.

Rather than scrap the idea, they just went for it. One brave volunteer put on the oversized chicken suit, flapped along to the music, and history was rewritten.

From that soggy afternoon at the 1981 Tulsa Oktoberfest, the Duck Dance officially became known across America as The Chicken Dance.

Only in Oklahoma could a mix-up like that turn into a nationwide tradition.