Buffalo Wing Food Festival

What is it about Food Festivals that inspire the heart, mind and appetites of people around the world and Americans from coast-to-coast every year. One of the more popular genres for “Food Festivals” was inspired by the “Buffalo Wing.” The National Chicken Council projects Americans will consume 1.45 billion wings during this year’s Super Bowl! That is a lot of Wings!

Buffalo Wing Inventor

Who invented the Buffalo Wing exactly is an item of hot debate among foodies, but most people agree it was Terressa Bellissimo in 1964 the owner (along with her husband Frank) of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo NY who did.

At the time chicken wings were cheap, unwanted and often tossed in the trash. According to the Buffalo History Museum, contrary to popular belief chicken wings were served in homes and food establishments for many years before 1964.

ladies with chicken hats. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.
ladies with chicken hats. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.

First Chicken Wing Recipe

The Clarendon hotel served something called “chicken wings” on July 1, 1857, they also found a recipe for chicken wings in 1894 in the buffalo commercial advisor.

According to the Bookbaker.com, Food festivals in America can be traced back to colonial times when communities would gather to celebrate harvests and other events. These types of events focused on sharing food and were a display of abundance and prosperity.

I think we can all agree these types of festivities are nothing new to American culture. They attract millions of people to them and bolster local economies across the country.

best wings cup. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.
Best wings trophy. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.

Food Festival Inspiration

Food festivals are inspired by everything from Spam, Mac and Cheese, and Garlic to Wine and Cheese events.

The United States is a vast and ever-changing mash up of cultures from around the world and our Food festivals celebrate that fact with different flavor mash ups, and textures from varying cultures.

One of the top Food Festivals in the U.S. is the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Miami, FL it offers a combination of beach entertainment and delicious food. Another is the Charleston wine and food festival, Charleston. SC which celebrates Charleston’s beloved culinary scene.

hudson valley wingfest
Hudson Valley Wingfest. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.

Hudson Valley Wing Fest

One of the most popular Food Festivals in the U.S. is called Hudson Valley Wing Fest. According to Organizer Angelo Notaro, “It’s the third longest running Wing Festival in the United States and has won multiple awards. It was voted the best winter event by Hudson Valley Magazine, the Poughkeepsie Journals, and the Record online. There is going to be a ‘King of The Wings’ eating challenge.”

Who will win the $5000.00 Prize?

hudson valley wingfest banner
Hudson Valley wingfest banner.

The festival attracts thousands of people every year that crave a family friendly culinary experience.

Hudson Valley Wingfest18 will be Saturday, February 1st, 2025. VIP Admission is at 3:30 PM, General Admission is 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Majed j. Nesheiwat Convention Center, 14 civic plaza, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

ladies eating buffalo wings. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.
Ladies eating buffalo wings. Photo: Russell W. Dickson.
Russell W. Dickson
Russell W. Dickson, lives in upstate NY, and is a Freelance journalist. He has written for both print and online news/opinion pages.Russell holds a B.A. in English, minor Journalism from The University at Albany, Albany, NY. His writing experience spans more than a decade and his work has graced the pages of newspapers, magazines, online news orgs, and political websites in both the U.S. and abroad.