Hotwing Festival returns Downtown
Event includes food, live music
It’s almost that time of year. Soon the 14th annual Southern Hotwing Festival will be coming to Downtown Memphis. The festival will be held April 23 at the Mississippi River Park. As in years past, this event will pack the park with entertainment for the whole family and the sweet smell of hot wings. For youngsters, there will be a Kids’ Zone offering various activities and arts and crafts. There also will be a bike valet service. To date, the event has raised more than $175,000 for Ronald McDonald House of Memphis.
The Southern Hotwing Festival is the place to be for aficionados looking to savor some of the best wings around town or cooking teams looking to show off their culinary talents. Teams get fired up as they compete to be named in the top flight of this Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned competition.
The only thing hotter than the wings themselves may be this year’s musical entertainment. Black Oak Arkansas will headline this year’s festival. Among the band’s most popular tunes was the hit “Jim Dandy to the Rescue.” The group has continued to write, record and tour, but has not played in Memphis in a few years. Other scheduled performers include Chris “CJ” Johnson, who made it to the Top 24 in this season’s “American Idol,” and Mike Sweep coming off a performance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Free World, Delta Joe Sanders, Jack Rowell and The Royal Blues Band and many more. For a complete line-up for festival entertainment, visit southernhotwingfestival. com/live-bands.
Local vendors will round out the festival’s offerings with items ranging from Pronto Pups, funnel cakes, ice cream, corn on the cob and much more. The Kids Korner will offer face painting, balloons and party favors in a supervised area.
Want to be a part of the fun and earn your wings? Volunteers are needed to
assist with the festival. Volunteers are asked to commit to at least one 4-5 hour shift. In return, volunteers receive free admission, an event T-shirt and refreshments.
Advance tickets are available online for $10 per person. Tickets also will be available at participating Mapco Mart stores and at the Ronald McDonald House, 585 Alabama, for $12 per person (children ages 12 and under free). On the day of the event, tickets will be available at the gate for $15.
For information about sponsorships, tickets, being a vendor or serving as a festival volunteer, visit southernhotwingfestival.com.