Every Memphian has a wing order memorized 🍗 Lemon pepper wet, all flats, fries from the spot around the corner that has never once let them down. Ask a room full of people who makes the best wings in the city and the room splits fast, with everybody ready to defend their pick.
Carmeon Hamilton wants to settle it. The interior designer and HGTV Design Star: Next Gen winner is the founder behind Wing Wars, a brand new festival taking over the Stax Museum and Soulsville campus on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eight local wing spots bring their best, the crowd votes, and one restaurant walks away with $10,000 🏆
“I’m not trying to replace barbecue as part of Memphis’ identity,” Hamilton says. “I want to make room for another part of our food culture that Memphians already know and love.”
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🔥 Eight Spots, One Crowd Vote
There is no judges’ table at this one. Admission comes with tastings from all eight restaurants, and the people eating the wings pick the People’s Choice champion, announced around 3:50 p.m. The lineup:
JD’s Wings 2 GoSwamp BarGood Fortune CompanyAye Mane Say ManeThe Vegan Pimps of Memphis by The Mushroom QueenCrumpy’s on the GoRiko’s Kickin ChickenBrain Food Memphis
Regulars get to show up for their favorite, and everybody else gets to find a new one 🌱 Yes, the vegan crowd has a contender too.
Wing Wars has been spotlighting the competitors one by one on @wingwars901, so here is a little preview before Saturday đź‘€
🏀 Wings on the Plate, Hoops on the Court
The competition does not stop at the food tables. Each restaurant also fields a team in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament for a separate $5,000 prize, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Grind City Media on board as partners and She Got Game League running the bracket 💪🏾 Cheer for a restaurant on the court, then go see if its wings can back it up.
Between games, live DJs, music and dance performances, and a vendor market full of local businesses keep the campus moving. Admission also includes the Stax Museum, so a wing break can turn into an hour with Isaac Hayes’ Cadillac 🎶
🎙️ Why Soulsville
For Hamilton, putting Wing Wars in Soulsville was never a question.
“Soulsville is such an important part of what Memphis has given the world,” she says. “I want this event to bring people together here, celebrate what’s already here, and create an experience that feels like it belongs to Memphis.”
The whole day was built by Memphians, too. J+L Creative designed the look, Editbae Post is capturing it on camera, The Joy Project connected the restaurants and partners, She Got Game League is running the court, and Organized by Kendra is keeping every moving piece in place 🙌🏽
“That’s the Memphis I want Wing Wars to celebrate,” Hamilton says. “A city where we show up for one another, put our talents to work, and build things worth being proud of together.”
Sat., Oct. 3 â—Ź 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. â—Ź Stax Museum & Soulsville Campus
Admission includes wing tastings from all eight restaurants, a vote for the $10,000 People’s Choice winner, and access to the Stax Museum.
Follow along at @wingwars901 for competitor spotlights đź‘€
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Come hungry, bring the crew, and come ready to defend a favorite 🗳️
Dining and Cooking