Yes, those are chicken wing hats those two guys are wearing ! (They are Drew Cerza and Bobby Flay at the Anchor Bar where Buffalo chicken wings were invented.) Welcome to Wing Fest 2011, an orgy of eating chicken wings. For the next two days, over a 100,000 hungry chicken wing aficionados will consume about 20 tons of chicken wings. Hot wings, barbecue wings, sweet & sour wings, over a 100 different kinds of chicken wings.
Wing Fest began in 2002, after Buffalo News columnist, Donn Esmonde, saw Osmosis Jones (a 2001 box office bomb). The movie is about an animated white blood cell played by Chris Rock who lives in actor Bill Murray’s body, protecting him from germs. Murray plays a compulsive eater who plans on attending the National Buffalo Wing Festival right here in our hometown. The funny thing was, the National Buffalo Wing Festival didn’t even exist. Completely fictitious. But the idea of a Buffalo Wing Festival sparked Esmond’s interest, and his resulting column got the attention of “Wing King” Drew Cerza.
Cerza got to work, and organized the first ever National Buffalo Wing Festival in 2002. It didn’t take long for the festival–and Cerza himself–to become a hit. This year, over a 100 vendors from 49 states (no Arkansas) will be presenting their unique chicken wing creations. Since the first Wing Fest, Drew Cerza has been featured on CNN, the Travel Channel, Regis and Kelly, The Today Show, the Food Network alongside Emeril Lagasse, and Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Cerza even made a PBS documentary on the subject of Buffalo chicken wings. All of the proceeds from Wing Fest go to charity.
If you’re a fan of chicken wings, you need to put Wing Fest on your schedule. And, if you come to Buffalo, let me know and I’ll show you the sights…that’s if you can still walk after consuming a couple pounds of chicken wings!
Well, I see I picked the wrong weekend to come to Buffalo.
You have to like chicken wings and crowds if you choose to visit Wing Fest, Patti. I like chicken wings, but I’d rather not contend with 100,000 hungry humans.
I certainly wish I could be there.
Wing Fest is the Super Bowl for lovers of chicken wings, Scott. Every imaginable variety of chicken wing is available. But, as I grow older, I’ve become more crowd-adverse.
Maybe the crowds aren’t so bad if you get there early, but then the wing-makers may not all have their wares ready to eat. I love wings and would love to do this, but fly to the east coast on Labor Day weekend? Nah. I’m heading to a hamburger grillin’ with some book people at Dick Wald’s house. Some of you may recognize the name, he was part of the Lance Casebeer Portland book crowd back when and still is. I’ve not been to his house before and am looking forward to seeing his collection of original pulp art. Plus having a burger or two, of course.
Over 30,000 people showed up in the first 45 minutes of Wing Fest this afternoon, Rick. People came from 42 states and 10 foreign countries. Reporters were interviewing the hungry chicken wing addicts as they filed into Coca-Cola Field. But your Dick Wald party sounds like fun, too.
This is one fest I’m happy to miss. I don’t like chicken wings much at all.
I’m much more a fan of pizza than chicken wings, Jeff. But, around here, pizza and chicken wings just to together, especially when the Bills are playing on TV.