This year’s Buffalo Wing Festival, which takes place on September 2, will feature a craft beer VIP experience. Breweries include 42 North Brewing, Steelbound Brewing, Ellicottville Brewing, Resurgence Brewing and more. Tickets are $75 and include admission to Wingfest, access to the Buffalo Bills field, $15 in wing/food tickets, craft beer tastings for two hours, souvenir plate and tasting cup and a free bottle of Dan-O’s seasoning. There are only 500 tickets for each two hour session (2pm-4pm, 5pm-7pm). $5 per ticket will be donated to local charities through Bills Mafia Babes and Hope Rises, which supports pediatric cancer initiatives.

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.

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.

“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 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.

The National Buffalo Wing Festival, presented by Empower Federal Credit Union, returns to Highmark Stadium on Sept. 2 and 3. 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. 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. 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.

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.

23 Wing & Food Vendors:

  • Anchor Bar-Buffalo, NY
  • My Favorite Ice Cream, Buffalo, NY
  • Archer’s Tavern – Dayton, OH
  • Not Just Cakes – Buffalo, NY
  • Booty’s Wings – Surprise, AZ
  • Pop ‘N Bob’s Kettle Corn-Buffalo, NY
  • Buffalo Wild Wings – USA
  • St. John’s Brewer’s – St. Thomas USVI
  • Center Street Grille-Enola, PA
  • Steelbound Brewery – Ellicottville, NY
  • Checker’s Restaurant – USA
  • The Blind Rhino-Norwalk, CT
  • Danny’s South-Orchard Park, NY
  • The Dirty Buffalo – Virginia Beach, VA
  • Double Dubs – Laramie, WY
  • Tree’s Wings & Ribs – Royal Palms, FL
  • Just Pizza-Buffalo, NY
  • Wegmans – Rochester, NY
  • House of Wings – Iceland
  • Wing It On! – Raleigh, NC
  • Legend Larry’s – Sheboygan, WI
  • Wings Army-Mexico
  • Millie’s Café- Ottoville, OH

To learn more, visit BuffaloWing.com or follow along at www.facebook.com/BuffaloWingFestival, @WingFest , and by using the hashtag #WingFest23.