The National Buffalo Wing Festival started in 2002. It was inaugurated at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, as a festival celebrating Buffalo-style chicken wings.
The event was founded by Drew Cerza, who became known locally as the “Wing King.” It takes place around Labor Day weekend and includes restaurants, sauce makers, cooking competitions, amateur events, and the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship. The festival’s concept was reportedly inspired in part by a fictional wing festival shown in the 2001 film Osmosis Jones.
The festival helped turn Buffalo’s signature dish into a major annual food event. Its competitive-eating championship began in 2002, while the dedicated wing-eating contest has generally been held on the festival’s Sunday. The event has served millions of wings and raised substantial funds for local charities over the years.