GAINESVILLE - Chicken lovers flocked to downtown Gainesville Saturday morning to get their fill at the fifth annual Spring Chicken Festival.
Gainesville Fire Chief Deputy Jerome Yarbrough and his team were among the 17 teams competing to win the Grand Champion chicken cook-off award.
"We have hot wings, maybe three of four different flavors; we got whole chickens that have been smoked; we even got boneless breasts with a bacon wrap," said Yarbrough.
Between all the chicken being fried, grilled, baked and boiled, state Sen. Lee Hawkins read the senate resolution declaring Gainesville the Chicken Capital of the World.
"The City of Gainesville and Hall County is acknowledged as the location where the modern poultry industry was found," said Hawkins as he read the resolution.
Mayor Myrtle Figueras said she was especially proud of her city for the designation.
"Chicken is our great deal... we are the chicken capital of the world," she said.
But the day's event wasn't just about good eating. It was also about doing some good for the community.
Rick Foote with Keep Hall Beautiful said the cost of sampling the local chefs' cuisine was $8. He said that money goes back into the community.
"Over the past two years of the fund we've granted $9,000 to local non-profits and local governments to plant trees in public places for the benefit of all of us," he said.
In addition to the chicken cook-off, the event also featured a road race, a sweet tea challenge and a chicken feather quilt show.
Thursday
April 10th, 2025
8:14AM
