London’s World Chicken Festival

Enjoy four days of “egg-citement” and fun for the entire family at the 17th annual World Chicken Festival in downtown London, September 21-24.

There will be music, food, parade, car show, contests for all ages, a Kiddie World, and 25 amusement rides for adults and kids.

Don’t miss the world’s largest skillet—10-1/2 feet in diameter, 8 inches deep, with an 8-foot handle made of 700 pounds of steel, filled with 300 gallons of cooking oil, frying 600 chicken quarters at one time, available Thursday-Saturday.

The entertainment lineup includes free local and national recording artists. Gospel groups include the Benge Family on Friday evening, Anchorman on Saturday evening, and the Singing Cookes on Sunday. Country acts include Eddy Raven on Thursday evening, Trent Willmon on Friday evening, and The Grascals on Saturday evening.

Saturday features a parade down Main Street at 11 a.m. and a car show from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Contests abound with lots of cackling at the Crowing, Strutting & Clucking (Saturday), Survival Egg Drop (Friday), and Shiloh Hot Wings Eating (Friday) contests. A bluegrass band competition, karaoke contest, and cooking contest (entry deadline September 3) for what else but the best chicken entrée will be held Saturday. For the sports-minded, there’s the 5K Run for the Roost (Saturday), a golf scramble, a basketball shootout, and the Pin-Crackin’ Doubles Bowling Tournament. Adults and kids will want to enter the Soap Box Derby on Friday, and don’t miss the Look-A-Like contests on Saturday for mother/daughter, father/son, and Colonel Sanders. There will also be pageants and a photo contest.

Available all four days, the Kiddie World stage features a Kids Day Circus, Magic Mike, Ronald McDonald, and storyteller Bonnie Hunter Strassell. There will also be a Chick-O-Lympics with prizes on Friday for ages 4-7.

The festival hours are Thursday 5-11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.– midnight; and Sunday 1-5 p.m. For more information, go online to www.chickenfestival.com or call (800) 348-0095.