Hot Chicken Fest Is Back on for July 4!

If Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer, the Music City Hot Chicken Festival has been Nashville's indicator that the season is in full swing for more than a decade now. The 15th annual MCHF benefiting Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms will return to East Park on July 4 from noon until 4 p.m. after shifting to a takeout configuration last year due to COVID-19 concerns.

“Without fail, patrons of the Music City Hot Chicken Festival gather each year to celebrate Nashville’s culinary gift to the world, and we’re thrilled that we’ll be back again at East Park this year,” says festival founder and former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. “This year in particular we remain committed to our original, simple premise: on the day we join all of America in the celebration of our freedoms, in Nashville we also celebrate our homegrown freedom to eat hot chicken.”

This year, the amateur hot chicken cooking contest — a festival highlight — will take place a little early on Thursday, July 1, starting at 10 a.m. Five amateur cooks will have the chance to show off their skills to a panel of hot chicken experts, with the winner being crowned at 3 p.m. on the day of the festival.

Portions of the contest will be live on NewsChannel 5’s Talk of the Town. An application to compete in the contest is available on the MCHCF website at hot-chicken.com. The deadline to apply is June 11.

“The amateur cooking contest is the cornerstone of our festival” says fest contest chairperson, caterer and special event planner Katrina Ware of Ware Is Your Planner. “Several past winners have graduated to start their own hot chicken businesses. It’s a contest for those aspiring to learn more about hot chicken and meet the culinary wizards behind the dish.”

The festival is free to attend, and there will be some of your favorite hot chicken vendors on hand to scratch that capsaicin itch, along with other food and drink vendors.