Mouth-watering celebration of all things chicken wing returns to Canberra

Few parts of a chicken get people more excited than the wings, and here in Canberra, they even have their own festival.

It’s been on hiatus since 2021, but the Canberra Chicken Wing Festival is officially back. The triumphant return will take over the heart of the city in the newly renovated Verity Lane in Civic this Saturday (16 September).

Festival goers are told to expect a “mouth-watering celebration of all things chicken wings”.

There’ll be an array of flavours on offer, from classic buffalo to “inventive and exotic twists that cater to every palate”, as well as live events such as a ‘Hot Wing’ eating competition, Chicken Wing Bingo, Best Chicken Dance and an all-you-can-eat challenge.

A beer and beverage garden will provide “refreshing drinks” to pair perfectly with your chicken wing choices.

Canberra Chicken Wing Festival organiser Marc Brown said they’re “thrilled” to bring it all back.

“Canberrans seem to have a taste for chicken wings – wings are a real thing here,” he told Region.

“There are lots of venues offering wings and some do them really well. There are a number of social media accounts searching for the best wings in town.”

Marc described chicken wings as “unfussy, fun to eat and packed with flavour”, making them the “ultimate comfort food”. Needless to say, the secret lies in the skin.

“A large part of the flavour is that they have one of the highest skin-to-meat ratio of any cut of chicken, so when they are properly prepared, there is an abundance of delicious crispy skin,” he said.

“You can prepare them with a huge variety of seasoning and sauces and get a world of tastes in just one sitting, and the small individual pieces lend themselves perfectly to eating challenges.”

The festival has always been held in Verity Lane behind the Sydney Building in Civic but was “put on ice” during renovation work in 2022.

There’s now new stormwater infrastructure, lighting (including some fittings that project patterns onto the ground), plant boxes and fresh asphalt not only in Verity Lane, but also in its twin, Odgers Lane, behind the Melbourne Building.

When both reopened in June 2023, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the renovations had made the laneways look the best they have in his lifetime, “and I’m getting pretty old”.

He said the upgrades allowed businesses to have viable outdoor areas “that don’t flood all the time and are attractive spaces for people to be in”.

The Chicken Wing Festival echoes the sentiment.

“The renovation has given the venue a new lease on life, making it the perfect setting for a fun and flavourful event,” Marc said.

The Canberra Chicken Wing Festival will be held in Verity Lane on Saturday, 16 September, from 12 pm to 5 pm. Tickets are available for purchase online for $25 per person.