Festivals

Wings of glory

The "Wing King," Drew Cerza, is bringing the sixth annual 2007 National Buffalo Wing Festival to Dunn Tire Park in downtown Buffalo this weekend for a wing-ding of a time.

More than 30 local and national restaurants will participate in this year's event, including several new entries. Among them are Ker's Wing House, a Texas chain owned by former Dallas Cowboy Crawford Ker, and Native New Yorker, owned by a former Grand Island family with 17 restaurants in Arizona.

Returning to this year's event will be the numerous contests and competitions that have become festival favorites over the years, including the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championships, which will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1. Sanctioned by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, this year's competitors will include the return of 2006 Champion Chip Simpson of Alabama and World Chicken Wing Eating Champion Sonya Thomas.

Other contests include the Hot Sauce Recipe competitions, Miss Buffalo Wing Contest, Baby Wing Contest, Blue Cheese Bowl Competition, Buffalo Buffet Bowl and the 5k Running of the Chic kens.

Entertainment at the 2007 National Buffalo Wing Festival will feature music legend Terry Sylvester, formerly of The Hollies at 8 p.m. Saturday. Hear such hits as "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress," "The Air That I Breathe" and others. Also enjoy the sounds of Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald at 2 p.m. Saturday, and the Jimmy Buffett tribute band Pirate Dreams at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Hours for the festival are noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.buffalowing.com.
now-Sept. 3
New York State Fair - Through
Sept. 3 at the Empire Expo Center, 581
State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse.
Performers include: Hinder, Papa Roach
and Buckcherry, Frankie Avalon (Aug.
30); Kenny Chesney, Blue Oyster Cult
and Foghat (Aug. 31); Brad Paisley,
Bowzer's Rock 'N' Roll Party (Sept. 1);
American Idol Live 2007, Tesla (Sept.
2); and Rockin' Roadhouse Tour with
Lorrie Morgan (Sept. 3). Visit
www.nysfair.org for performance times
and days.

sat. 1
Middleport Festivities - Craft
show, children's parade, food and drink
vendors, live entertainment, raffles,
chicken barbecue and goat chip bingo
sponsored by the Royalton-Hartland
Business and Professional Association,
starting with breakfast sponsored by Boy
Scout Troop 23 at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept.
1 at the Masonic Lodge, Main Street,
Middleport; free. 735-7538
sat. 1-sun. 2
National Buffalo Wing Festival -

Fifth annual food festival featuring local
delicacy - hot wings - starting at
noon Saturday, Sept. 1 and continuing
Sept. 2 at Dunn Tire Park, 275
Washington St., Buffalo; $. 843-4373,
www. buffalowing. com
German-American Festival - The
German-American Society's annual
event features two days of traditional
German music, food and beverages. The
event runs 2-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1,
and 1-10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2 at
Cheektowaga Town Park, Harlem Road,
Cheektowaga; $. 674-1539