Nashville Hot Chicken Festival goers battle hot temps, chicken

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - While hot dogs are on the minds of many every Fourth of July, Nashville is focused on a different food: hot chicken.

Whether it’s the greasy goodness or the lines of people, both are frying at the Nashville Hot Chicken Festival.

“The sweat that comes from this will cool you off,” Thurman Flagg, a customer visiting from St. Paul, Minnesota.

He’s with his friends trying and sharing every bite of the crispy cutlets.

“The hotter it gets, the more people we get,” Rebecca Ratz, Executive Director for Friends of Shelby Parks and Bottoms, said.

She helps organize the festival every year. This is its 16th year and nine hot chicken restaurants take over East Park to raise money and the heat.

“We got rain yesterday, so it’s steam,” Ratz said. “It’s steaming on us; it’s coming up from the ground, but it’s just fitting,” Ratz said.

“We didn’t come down here this far to play around. You know what I mean?” Flagg said.

Mild, medium, hot or extra hot, the temperature outside isn’t stopping anyone.

“Can’t let it get too cool. It’s hot chicken,” Flagg said.

All the money raised at Monday’s even goes back to Shelby Bottoms Park.

Copyright 2022 WSMV. All rights reserved.