“Wingfest” Returns to Highmark Stadium
“Wingfest” Returns to Highmark Stadium
Over 100 Styles of Wings and a New VIP Craft Beer Tasting Fundraiser, September 2nd & 3rd
The National Buffalo Wing Festival presented by Empower Federal Credit Union returns to Highmark Stadium on Sept. 2nd and 3rd. Now in its 22nd year, the festival has averaged 45,000+ attendees over the last 10 years that have been tracked from all 50 states and 44 different countries. Twenty-three (23) local, regional, national, and international eateries be serving more than 100 styles of chicken wings.
Other activities include live music, a baby wing pageant, amateur and XXXHot Wing Eating Contests, a celebrity influencer sauce-off competition, bobbing for wings, and the Wing It On! United States Buffalo Wing Eating Championship. Attendees can chow down at restaurant row and enjoy a cold beverage right on the field, where the Buffalo Bills open their season on September 17th.
“Home of the Buffalo Bills”: The National Buffalo Wing Festival will enjoy a third straight year at its new home in Highmark Stadium. Working with the Buffalo Bills to fill the gap between the last pre-season game and the opening game has kept the momentum for Bills Fans and wing fanatics locally and across the country. It is a unique opportunity for fans to hang out on the field where their beloved Buffalo Bills play. It’s a great photo opportunity for family and friends. The Festival offers FREE PARKING to all attendees!
NEW THIS YEAR! – Wingfest VIP “Craft Beer Tasting Fundraiser”: Local craft breweries will be participating in two tasting sessions in the air-conditioned Pepsi Club. The first session is from 2:00-4:00pm and benefits Hope Rises supporting those afflicted with pediatric cancer. The second session is from 5:00-7:00pm and benefits the Mafia Babes local charitable efforts. Tickets are $75 and include an all-day festival admission, beer tastings for two hours, $15 in wing tickets, a Wingfest souvenir plate and cup, a bottle of Dan-O’s Spicy Seasoning and a charitable donation to the local charities for each session. Parking is FREE. The event is sponsored by VSP Graphics and Buffalolocal, a consortium of local craft breweries. The Wingfest will be held Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 2nd and 3rd.
Philanthropy: Over the past 21 years, the National Buffalo Wing Festival has raised more than $440,000 for local charities. The festival will again give back to the community with this year’s beneficiaries including FeedMoreWNY and the Alzheimer’s Assoc. of WNY.
Mafia Babes: The Mafia Babes are an empowering community of women united by their passion for football and desire to help others. Emerging as a social media initiative in February 2016, their community has grown to encompass over 32,000 enthusiastic women. As a 501c3, the Mafia Babes have embraced a profound mission: to channel the passion of Bills fans into a potent force for social good. Each month they support a local WNY organization close to the hearts of Buffalo Bills players and staff. “The Mafia Babes are thrilled to collaborate with the Wingfest which embodies the "City of Good Neighbors," bringing together great people, great food, and great causes”, says Kristen Kimmick, co-founder.
Hope Rises: Hope Rises ignites hope through continuous acts of charitable kindness throughout Western New York. Beginning in 2017, highlighting the good of the world, it quickly transformed into a 501c3 mission with 100% of money raised remaining in the community. In 2022, Hope Rises executed 47 Give Hope campaigns supporting pediatric cancer, veterans, and first responders just to name a few. Founded by Kate Glaser, Hope Rises has a committed volunteer base of 350+ 'hope heroes'.
“RESTAURANT ROW” Twenty-three (23) local, regional, national, and even international eateries will be on-hand serving over 100 different styles of wings as well as other local Buffalo favorite foods. The regional twists on wings from all over the country makes the Wingfest one of the most unique food festivals in the country.
Three of the restaurants coming back this year that won multiple awards at last year’s Wingfest caught a lot of fame last year because of the honors that they received right here in Buffalo. Double Dubs from Laramie, WY was selected by Guy Fieri for an episode on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Also, the Blind Rhino out of South Norwalk, CT was recognized because of their Wingfest awards to be the official wing of last year’s Super Bowl VIP Party in Los Angeles hosted by Bobby Flay. Booty’s Wings, Burgers and Beer with three sports bars in the Phoenix, AZ area were chosen because of their 18 national awards including 2 of the prestigious “Festival Favorite” awards as the featured wings by Good Morning Football for Super Bowl Sunday.
House of Wings Restaurant from Reykjavik, Iceland: This year’s special participant is coming 2,640 miles to showcase their wings here in the U.S. Owner Justin Shouse is from Erie, Pa. and moved to Iceland to play professional basketball for 13 years. After retiring in 2017 as the all-time assist leader in the Iceland Pro League, Justin and longtime friend and business partner Lydur Vignisson started frying wings before basketball games to raise money for the youth basketball programs. In 2020, Justin and Lydur bought a food truck and called it “Just Wingin It” as they were both working as teachers and youth basketball coaches. They started as 12 flavors which led to an award for Best Bite at the 2020 European Street Food Awards. After 6 months of operating their food truck the company moved to a brick and mortar pop-up in downtown Reykjavik and have been thriving since and now serve over 45 different sauces today.
Thailand Company bringing Authentic Sriracha Sauce: Global food giant, Exotic Food Thailand Company and their Flying Goose Sriracha Hot Sauce is coming all the way to Buffalo from Thailand to be the festival’s “Official Hot Sauce” leveraging the Wingfest as a springboard to grow their distribution here in the U.S.
Major League Eating and Joey Chestnut Returning: Major League Eating co-founder, George Shea will be in Buffalo for his 19th time to emcee the Wing It On! United States Chicken Wing Eating Championship. Joey Chestnut, the #1 eater in the world will be returning to try and unseat the reigning Champion, Miki Sudo, the #1 female eater in the world. Eric “Badlands” Booker will be competing and performing some rap and even film an episode of “Badlands Chugs” for his popular YouTube Channel.
The Seneca Resorts & Casinos Entertainment Pavilion: The entertainment pavilion will feature a Paint Ball Game, Golf Simulator, a Jim Beam Distillery Experience and Live Music. A large 9’ x 6’ TV screen will be showing all the activities and contests from the field’s main stage. Of course, some of WNY’s finest brews will be on-hand including a Yuengling Beer Market and sampling from Big Deal Brewing.
The Pepsi Club: The National Buffalo Wing Festival offers guests the opportunity to enjoy their wings in an air-conditioned suite with open seating and a bar. It is open to all festival goers for relief from sun or just to sit, relax and enjoy their wings!
National Media Coverage: Wingfest has been showcased by such national media as the Food Network (All-American Festivals, Unwrapped, Throwdown with Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse Live), the Travel Channel (Bar Food Paradise, Taste of America, and Food Wars), NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s The View, The CBS Morning Show, ABC Good Morning America, BBC, Regis & Kelly, Fox and Friends and even a PBS documentary.
For more information including a full list of wing and food vendors, competitive food eating competitions and other signature events, visit BuffaloWing.com or follow along at and on IG: @WingFest.