YES! We Nashvillians take our Hot Chicken Seriously. Maybe too seriously? Nah...
What is Hot Chicken anyway? It is a uniquely Nashville delicacy - chicken dredged, breaded, and fried with lots of fiery spice along the way, and generously coated with an even more fiery dry spice mixture at the end. Always served on slices of white bread with pickles and sides such as cole slaw.
Nashville Hot Chicken Festival (Love by Nashville Vacation Home Heidtke House)
There are many legends that tell the tale of how this delicacy came to be, but most revolve around this dish being served as revenge by a scorned lover!
The 13th Annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival pays homage to this uniquely Nashville phenomenon, which has left its mark around the world. One of my work colleagues was in the UK not long ago and noticed that "Nashville Hot Chicken" was offered on the menu at a London pub.
Created in 2007, the annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival brings together the local community and visitors to celebrate the uniquely-Nashville dish, Hot Chicken.
The FREE event is held in East Park at 700 Woodland Street on July 4th each year. The Fire Truck Parade begins at 10:30am followed by free Hot Chicken samples to the first 500 people in line. Festival gates open at 11:00am. Visitors can sample Hot Chicken from Nashville's best Hot Chicken establishments, cold beers and other delicious edibles from many local vendors.
Live music from local bands keeps the "Nashville" vibe going all day long and visitors can look on while five teams try their hand at cooking up their version of Hot Chicken in the Amateur Cooking Competition.
The event ends at 3pm, when visitors can start making their way downtown for the annual fireworks display.
A few things to keep in mind when visiting the festival:
- The Hot Chicken Festival is a "Rain or Shine" event
- Admission is FREE to the Music City Hot Chicken Festival
- Best to leave pets at home
- The Festival is all-ages, however a valid ID is required for all beer sales.
- Not all vendors accept credit cards. There is an ATM on site
- No outside coolers allowed
- No tents allowed
- Restrooms are located inside the East Park Community Center
- Free Hot Chicken samples are given to the first 500 guests, but the line starts forming well before 11am, so plan accordingly
Visiting Nashville? Stay at Heidtke House
Heidtke House is our beautifully restored mid-century modern home - available for booking your stay in Nashville, TN. Located in The Historic Bluefields community just east of Downtown Nashville, Heidtke House is Centrally located just 10 to 15 minutes from Downtown, East Nashville, Opryland and the Nashville International Airport. When you stay at Heidtke House, you are never far from where you want to be. Check our Availability for an always-up-to-date calendar and rates with a variety of booking opotions including AirBnB, VRBO / HomeAway - and you always get the best rate when you book directly with us
