Syracuse, N.Y. — A festival celebrating the almighty chicken wing will return to the city’s Inner Harbor for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eleven restaurants and bars will compete in the “Battle of the Wings” on May 20 and 21. The two-day festival will also feature 11 bands on two different stages, and a dozen food trucks will line the grounds and sell their food.
The festival, sponsored by Empower Federal Credit Union, is behind the Aloft Hotel at the corner of West Kirkpatrick and Solar streets. It will run from 4 to 11 p.m. next Friday and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday. A panel of 10 judges will sample each wing and crown the favorite at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Advance tickets are $5, available until May 18 at Limp Lizard restaurants at 4628 Onondaga Blvd., Syracuse and 224 N Main St., North Syracuse. Admission at the gate is $10.
A portion of the proceeds will go to Clear Path for Veterans, an all-inclusive community-based resource center that connects service members and their families to the resources they need.
This is the first festival in the Inner Harbor since the 2019 Wing Fest.
The 11 competitors will be split between two tents and will be separate from the other food vendors. Each wing competitor will sell two wings for $3. This comes following a national chicken wing shortage and huge price increase. While wing prices have declined, prices for fryer oil and wing sauces has skyrocketed, Ford said.
“We’re just happy to be able to put something like this together again,” said Nick Ford, one of the organizers and co-owners of Limp Lizard. “It could be massive. You get great wings, great food, great beer and great music all in one place.”
Wing Competitors:
Shifty’s
Saltine Warrior
Angry Pig BBQ
Jake’s Grub and Grog
Wings Over Syracuse
Meier’s Creek
Limp Lizard
Pizza Man Pub
Peppino’s
The Wildcat
Home Team Pub
Food truck vendors:
Via Napoli
Kiki’s
Spud Shack
The Chicken Bandit
Blueberries & Lace
Danny’s Steaks
Limp lizard BBQ
Ma and Pa’s Kettlecorn
Skippy’s Ice Cream
Cue Dogs
3-1-Fried
Baked Potato Express
Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign up for his free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.
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