Gordonsville will honor its fried chicken heritage Saturday as the Fried Chicken Festival returns to Main Street.
In the 1840s, the Town of Gordonsville became a railroad stop, making it a spot for commerce. After the Civil War, Black women began pooling their culinary talents, preparing fried chicken and other favorites and selling them to passengers through the train windows. In time, tales of the women’s entrepreneurship spread and Gordonsville was declared the “Fried Chicken Capital of the Universe.” The Fried Chicken Festival honors that history.
This year’s festival will build on last year’s rebirth which moved the event from the Gordonsville Fireman’s Fairgrounds to parking lots along Main Street. The festival is moving again Saturday, this time to the street. South Main Street between Moore Street and Mayhugh Street will be closed to vehicles 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Traffic will detour along High Street.
According to Gordonsville Visitor Center Director Anna Pillow, the festival promises to be bigger than last year with 70 vendors of all kinds including 19 food vendors, at least seven of which plan to serve chicken and compete for first place in the fried chicken contest. Food vendors include 2 Scoops Sweets & Treats, Carrie’s Soul Food on the Go, Coopers Cooking and Catering, CubaMex, Deziluis Sweetz, Dino’s Wood-Fired Grill, Fizzy Joy, Funnel Cake Café, Gee’s Street Eats, Just Dogs and Catering, Law Dawgs Hot Dogs, Lay’s Lemonade, Mary’s Mountain Cookies of Central Virginia, Meme’s Treat Shop, Mollie’s Gurlz, Moo Thru, Patty’s Pierogies, Smoke Shak, and What Cha Want. A beer and wine garden will feature Patch Brewing Company and Well Hung Vineyard.
Homebakers will also have a chance to enter their goods in this year’s pie contest. One entry per category (cream, fruit and custard) with a $5 entry fee per pie. The winner of each category will receive a $75 prize. Pies must be delivered to the visitor center Saturday between 12-1 p.m. with judging at 2 p.m. To enter, visit https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/w9RbFZ8TTR. Winners of both the chicken and pie contests will be announced at 3 p.m.
In addition to a wealth of vendors, there will be a new section this year dedicated to town history where residents can share their stories for inclusion in a local exhibit. The exhibit will be installed at the Gordonsville Visitor Center and is supported by a grant from The Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. The town is partnering with local history organizations including the Exchange Hotel, the James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage and the Orange County African American Historical Society, each of which will participate in the festival. Artist Sean Renfore will have a display on the history of photography and offer tintype portraits.
Also new this year is an opportunity to get ready for spooky season. Children will be able to visit the visitor’s center and draw the candy stealing mysterious menace, the Gordonsville Gorgon. The Gorgon has been reported slinking through town trying to eat everyone’s candy and the town needs help identifying it. The drawings will help with finding the creature on Halloween.
Live music will be presented by the Skip Castro Band at 12 p.m. with a performance by Brushwood’s School of Dance at 2 p.m.
Service animals are welcome, but pets are not permitted. The family-friendly festival is free to attend, but only those ages 21 and up will be admitted to the wine and beer garden. Parking will be available at Preddy’s Funeral Home and along N. Main Street and High Street. A free, air-conditioned, ADA accessible shuttle will run continuously and stop at Preddy’s Funeral Home, Food Lion and Patch Brewing. The festival will be held Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is rain or shine. For a list of vendors, visit https://www.townofgordonsville.org/events/fried_chicken_festival.php.
For those looking to continue the festivities, Patch Brewing Company will be hosting an afterparty 2-9:30 p.m. with local food trucks and live music. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1228588023682237.
