The first sign is the sight and smell of smoke wafting up behind the Washington Capitol. Then you notice a small group of men wearing Stetsons getting a large grill ready for cooking.

Could it be? Yes, Thursday is Beef Day! For Capitol Campus carnivores, it’s a highlight of any legislative session. For one thing, you get a free and tasty lunch.

The annual event, hosted by the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, was scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. between the Legislative Building and JLOB.

Beef Day has been a longtime tradition in Olympia. This 1962 photo (below) kept by the State Archives shows Gov. Rosellini in his office with a Beef Princess and a platter of roast beef. The photo comes from the Susan Parish Photograph Collection, 1889-1990.

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives)