Wing Fest under way at downtown ballpark
DOWNTOWN BUFFALO -- With the smell of frying oil carried by stiff winds and people bundled up against unseasonable temperatures, the ninth annual National Buffalo Wing Festival is under way at Coca Cola Field.
The thousands of wing-enthusiasts who have flocked to the downtown ballpark this afternoon for the chance to snack on some inventive flavors and sauces such as spicy pepper parmesan and "Buckeye barbecue" were undeterred by the weather. Neither was festival founder and "Wing King" Drew Cerza -- although the wind kept blowing out the flames on fryers, he said.
"It's actually perfect chicken wing eating weather," he said. "It's cooled down and the light breeze is not bad. Typical sunny day in Buffalo for Labor Day weekend."
Chuck Leone and his wife Maggie came from Niagara Falls, Ont. for their second Wing Fest. Chuck was sampling the Buckeye barbecue, which he said had "a hint of hotness" while his wife was trying the ranch-flavored wings.
"You just get a chance to try a bunch of different wings and meet a bunch of different people from different places," he said.
People come to the festival from Western New York and beyond, said Cerza.
Andy McCaffrey drove to the festival with a dozen friends and a family from his parents' summer cabin in the Southern Tier. He was munching on the terri-ginger wings from East Coast Wings & Grill, which he liked because they're "sweet and not too spicy."
Among the vendors frying up forty-five tons of wings this weekend is Larry Schaefer, owner of Legend Larry's, who drove in from Sheboygan, Wis. to mix up his nine sauces including "hot garlic."
Long lines stretched in front of his tent on the ballpark's outfield.
"Buffalo has been great for us," he said. "It really has put us on the map."
With all the deep-fried gastronomy going on, some attendees worried about future ailments.
"I smell heartburn," said Kailey Regan of Hamburg as she emerged from a tunnel into the ballpark.
Luckily there is a Pepto-Bismol tent set up on the field for such concerns.
Hours at Coca-Cola Field, Washington and Swan streets, are noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 per day, 8 and under are free. Wings are three for $2 at vendors, using a ticket system. For information: www.buffalowing.com
Meet a few of the thousands of chicken wing enthusiasts tempting their taste buds:
