Traditionally, burgoo referred to an oatmeal porridge eaten by sailors. Other similar stews were also based on squirrel meat, including burgoo and Southern Illinois chowder. Notable foods were lamb, burgoo, etc. The Burgoo Festival is a fundraising event hosted by the LaSalle County Historical Society. However, it is still widely served in Owensboro, the burgoo capital of the world. She calls an oatmeal version "burgoo". In Kentucky and surrounding states such as Indiana, burgoo is often used for school fund-raising. It is said that a spoon can stand up in a good burgoo. Utica is the location of the annual Burgoo Festival on Columbus Day weekend in October. Retired to Idle Hour Stock Farm, Burgoo King met with modest success at stud.