DATE: August 15, 2008
Forest Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 266
Forest, MS 39074
(601)469-4332 * Fax (601) 469-3224
DATE: August 15, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Mandi Arinder, Executive Director (601) 469- 4332
e-mail address: chamberguide@bellsouth.net
Gay Barnes, Entertainment Chairman (601) 469-3271
e-mail address: gaybarnes@bellsouth.net
5th ANNUAL
CHICKEN WING COOKING CONTEST AND
BLUES EXTRAVAGANZA
The 5th Annual Wing Dang Doodle Festival takes place on Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Forest, Mississippi at Gaddis Park from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We’re looking for a few good cooks! Think your wings are the best? Then, let’s put them to the test. Get your cooking teams together to vie for bragging rights and a $1,000.00 grand prize for the best grilled/smoked or fried chicken wings.
“With poultry being Mississippi’s largest agricultural product, (Scott County is the nation’s fifth largest poultry-producing county) and the blues being one of the state’s largest cultural products, we decided to combine the two, and the response has been overwhelming.” said Mandi Arinder, Executive Director of the Forest Area Chamber of Commerce. The search engine Travelocity selected Wing Dang Doodle from more than 30,000 entries as a top insider-spot in the United States for 2005 and highlighted the festival on its Web site.
In conjunction with the festival, the Mississippi Development Authority-Division of Tourism will be placing a Blues trail marker in Forest on Friday, September 26th. The marker will commemorate blues musicians Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup and James “T Model” Ford, both born right here in Forest. Big Boy Crudup is credited with writing such hits as Elvis Presley’s “That’s All right Mama”. Mr. James “T Model” Ford, who turned 88 on June 24th, will also perform at the Wing Dang Doodle festival. For more information, go to www.msbluestrail.org .
This year’s headliner is blues musician Eden Brent. Eden’s piano playing style ranges from a melancholic whisper to a full-blown juke joint holler. Referred to as “little boogaloo”, her unshakeable talent has led her across the world, with appearances at the Kennedy Space Center, the 2005 Presidential Inauguration, and tours of South Africa and Norway. For more information, go to www.edenbrent.com .
The musical group Rubrixx, a band of four Episcopal priests who play blues and classic rock completes the day’s musical entertainment.
New this year will be the “Wing Dang Dash”, 5K and 1K run, along with a fun run for the kids. Other activities such as arts and crafts, a pet show and parade, and motorcycle show will delight all festival participants! The purpose of this event is to provide a fun filled afternoon celebrating two of Mississippi’s top products – chicken and blues.
Forest is located approximately 45 miles east of Jackson and 45 miles west of Meridian, just off I-20. For a cooking team application, contact Mandi Arinder at 601-469-4332, or via e-mail at chamberguide@bellsouth.net . Bring a lawnchair and your appetite for some great chicken and blues to the Wing Dang Doodle, Saturday, September 27th.