Wings Food Fest will take place in Bray this weekend. Getty Images
It's that time of year again, folks, Wings Food Fest is returning to Bray seafront this weekend!
Is there a food more versatile than the humble chicken wing? They're great for group dining, are ideal with a pint during a match and are suitable for main course and starter, depending on your level of hunger.
The world has gone chicken wing mad over the past few years, with the National Chicken Council of America reporting that our friends across the pond enjoy a whopping 1.38 billion wings during Super Bowl weekend alone. Luckily for us, the fine people of Bray, Ireland's second most popular staycation destination, have created a three-day summer festival that is completely dedicated to chicken wings.
Wings Food Fest will return to Bray this summer after a showstopping weekend last summer. Including chicken wing eating contests, music, food stalls and more, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone at this festival.
What's Happening?
On July 19, 20 and 21 more than 20 varieties of chicken wings will be on offer from a variety of stalls on Bray beach, plus there will be a range of chicken wing-themed activities and entertainment taking place.
The stalls popping up this weekend will be offering chicken wings to suit every palate, from vegans to spice-lovers and everything in between, plus there will be sauces, sides and drinks on offer too. The 22 wing stalls will each offer their own unique take on classic wings, including fried wings from China House Dumpling, spicy smoked wings from King of the Grill and habanero wings from Big Fat Chicken.
As well as enough stalls to fill you up until next week, the famous Wings Food Fest eating competitions will be taking place throughout the weekend, including tests to see how many wings you can eat and how much spice you can handle. Places for these competitions have already sold out, but you can join the waitlist here.
If that's not enough for you, also taking place across the weekend are pitmaster demos, live music and DJs, as well as wing-themed games like Spin A Wing and Bingo Wing.
Map of this week's Wings Food Fest in Bray.
Ireland's Best Chicken Wing
If you only want to indulge in the best of the best chicken wings, then Wings Food Fest has you sorted. The festival has asked the public to nominate their favorite wings and has now created a shortlist of the top eight chicken wings in Ireland.
The #WingOff 2019 chicken wing finalists are Mullingar House, Avenue Maynooth, Volcano Wings Limerick, Brickyard, Ruby’s Grill, Vish Shop, The Martello & Box Burger. The winning wing will be crowned at the live final in Bray this Sunday, July 21st, so make sure you get down to the seaside to see the action unfold.
The massive crowds at the Wings Food Fest 2018 in Bray.
As well as food-based fun, there will be lots of entertainment on offer throughout the weekend, including The Bootleg Beach Boys who will open the festival on Friday, July 19 at 9 pm. The famous Bray Seafront Funfair will also be taking place throughout the weekend, as well as various street food and craft market stalls.
Entry to the festival is free, but charges apply with food, craft vendors and selected competitions. Wings will be available on Friday from 6 pm and from 10 am-6 pm on Saturday and Sunday.