National Buffalo Wing Festival

Created in 2002 by Drew Cerza, now known as the “Wing King,” the National Buffalo Wing Festival has since served 4.6 million wings to crowds of over 800,000 and is now entering its 22nd year.

Come hungry and leave satisfied this Labor Day weekend at the 2022 National Buffalo Wing Festival! The idea for this festival began when the 2001 film Osmosis Jones was released. Bill Murray stars as a compulsive eater whose goal is to attend the National Buffalo Wing Festival. At the time, this festival was fiction, until Buffalo native Drew Cerza decided to make it a reality in 2002. Cerza, also known as the “Wing King,” started this festival in order to help change the way Buffalo is viewed. Part of what makes it so special is that portions of the proceeds are donated to several local charities. Now entering its 22nd year, the National Buffalo Wing Festival has drawn more than 1.2 million people and served over 5.7 million wings.

The festival is host to not only buffalo wing eating contests but also musical entertainment, bobbing for wings, and more fun events! Be prepared to watch as adults and college students stuff their faces with delicious buffalo wings and see who comes out the winner! Kids can be part of the fun as well with the Baby Wing Competition, where children as young as newborns can compete in a Buffalo-themed costume contest to see who has the most Buffalo spirit! Catch live music from artists like Rusty Nickle, Boomerang, Dave Turner, and more! A weekend filled with food, fun, and Buffalo-themed activities, this festival is one not to miss!

Parking at the festival is free, which is convenient if you’re renting a car through Enterprise. Tickets for the festival are $20 each and will be available at the entrance gate, children 8 and under are admitted for free. This year, the festival is operating as a general admission event as opposed to holding individual three-hour sessions. The festival is an all-day event so you can eat and enjoy your wings within your own timeframe.

Other tickets include food tickets. There are chicken wing food tickets that can be purchased at the event. Individual tickets are set at $1.50, whereas sheets of 10 tickets are set at $15. One ticket is the equivalent of one chicken wing. For non-chicken wing foods you can use food tickets or cash, and for beverages, you can pay using credit or debit cards.

This year there are also the VIP Craft Beer Fundraiser tickets sold for Saturday, August 31 from 2 pm – 7 pm. The $75 ticket includes all-day admission, four-hour craft beer tasting, $15 of food tickets, access to the Buffalo Bills field, a souvenir plate and cup, a bottle of Dan-O’s seasoning, a Tums Wingfest Survival kit, and a charitable donation to Hope Rises Uplifting News and Mafia Babes charities.

Take Amtrak to The National Buffalo Wing Festival

Experience this festival via Amtrak to Buffalo-Exchange Street Station in Buffalo—The station is 9.3 miles from Highmark Stadium. Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount!

Get picked up from Buffalo-Exchange Street Station and taken to your reserved NYTRAIN Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Click here to reserve your car or call the Buffalo office today at: 716-884-6666.

National Buffalo Wing Festival

Created in 2002 by Drew Cerza, now known as the “Wing King,” the National Buffalo Wing Festival has since served 4.6 million wings to crowds of over 800,000 and is now entering its 22nd year.

Come hungry and leave satisfied this Labor Day weekend at the 2022 National Buffalo Wing Festival! The idea for this festival began when the 2001 film Osmosis Jones was released. Bill Murray stars as a compulsive eater whose goal is to attend the National Buffalo Wing Festival. At the time, this festival was fiction, until Buffalo native Drew Cerza decided to make it a reality in 2002. Cerza, also known as the “Wing King,” started this festival in order to help change the way Buffalo is viewed. Part of what makes it so special is that portions of the proceeds are donated to several local charities. Now entering its 22nd year, the National Buffalo Wing Festival has drawn more than 1.2 million people and served over 5.7 million wings.

The festival is host to not only buffalo wing eating contests but also musical entertainment, bobbing for wings, and more fun events! Be prepared to watch as adults and college students stuff their faces with delicious buffalo wings and see who comes out the winner! Kids can be part of the fun as well with the Baby Wing Competition, where children as young as newborns can compete in a Buffalo-themed costume contest to see who has the most Buffalo spirit! Catch live music from artists like Rusty Nickle, Boomerang, Dave Turner, and more! A weekend filled with food, fun, and Buffalo-themed activities, this festival is one not to miss!

Parking at the festival is free, which is convenient if you’re renting a car through Enterprise. Tickets for the festival are $20 each and will be available at the entrance gate, children 8 and under are admitted for free. This year, the festival is operating as a general admission event as opposed to holding individual three-hour sessions. The festival is an all-day event so you can eat and enjoy your wings within your own timeframe.

Other tickets include food tickets. There are chicken wing food tickets that can be purchased at the event. Individual tickets are set at $1.50, whereas sheets of 10 tickets are set at $15. One ticket is the equivalent of one chicken wing. For non-chicken wing foods you can use food tickets or cash, and for beverages, you can pay using credit or debit cards.

This year there are also the VIP Craft Beer Fundraiser tickets sold for Saturday, August 31 from 2 pm – 7 pm. The $75 ticket includes all-day admission, four-hour craft beer tasting, $15 of food tickets, access to the Buffalo Bills field, a souvenir plate and cup, a bottle of Dan-O’s seasoning, a Tums Wingfest Survival kit, and a charitable donation to Hope Rises Uplifting News and Mafia Babes charities.

Take Amtrak to The National Buffalo Wing Festival

Experience this festival via Amtrak to Buffalo-Exchange Street Station in Buffalo—The station is 9.3 miles from Highmark Stadium. Don’t forget to use the Amtrak See New York and Save 15% discount!

Get picked up from Buffalo-Exchange Street Station and taken to your reserved NYTRAIN Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Click here to reserve your car or call the Buffalo office today at: 716-884-6666.