This past weekend, what was once New Orleans’ little local fried chicken fest just a year ago turned into the National Fried Chicken Festival in a brand new venue at Woldenberg Riverfront Park. The expanded event attracted vendors from across the country as well as an all-star lineup of megawatt musical talent including Big Freedia and Naughty Professor. FCF has now announced that the expansion was a prescient business move.

The event attracted more than 166,000 attendees over the weekend, according to entrance clicks conducted by festival security. The second-year festival took place on Saturday, September 23, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with 76,000 festival goers and Sunday, September 24, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., attracting 90,000 hungry folks.

FCF organizer and President and CEO of the Spears Group Cleveland Spears, III, said in a press statement “For the second year, we are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community. We are so pleased to have worked with great sponsors, chefs, musicians, volunteers and Audubon Nature Institute to provide this experience for our neighbors across Louisiana and our visiting tourists, who traveled for the festival. While we are thrilled that everyone had a good time, we are even happier to have helped 35 independently owned restaurants have their top revenue days for the year, as well as our ability to support hurricane relief through our Pay it Forward Tent.”

The Original Fiorella’s Cafe won the coveted Best Fried Chicken Contest for the second year in a row, while Salthouse Catering from Charleston, S.C. took home the prize for Best Use of Fried Chicken in a Dish. Stephen Welford from Mobile, Alabama won the Raising Cane’s Chicken Finger Eating Contest.

The awards portion of the evening ended with the presentation of the 2017 Culinary Icon Award by Todd Graves, Raising Cane’s President and CEO, and Cleveland Spears, III, President and CEO of the Spears Group and FCF organizer. Kerry Seaton Stewart of Willie Mae’s Scotch House was this year’s recipient for her contribution to the culinary arts. Last year’s inaugural award was presented to Chef Leah Chase, the matriarch of Dooky Chase.