Sorry I missed it, but I ran into Kay earlier in the day as she was rushing off to judge fiery fowl. I'd love to hear a little about the judging process. Kay, your honor? Any highlights?

Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!
Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!
Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!
Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!Indoors!

ps. Has anyone try to make hot chicken at home? Have any tips? My couple of attempts were miserable failures.

We walked up to East Park on the 4th, and kept right on going to Five Points. Who schedules anything outside at midday in a Nashville July? Every shady spot was occupied by 11:15. The Hot Chicken Festival is a great idea, but this is two years in a row where the idea of standing around for hours in 90+ degree heat and direct sunlight to eat spicy fried food put me off eating for the rest of the day.

It seems shoehorned into (a) East Nashville and (b) the afternoon of 4th of July, without regard to the nature of the event. I mean, there's a novelty factor about, say, a Polar Bear Swim, but there's nothing novel about feeling sick to your stomach in mid-summer heat.

Either have it at night (so the 4th itself is out, as it, probably, East Park), or move it to a Saturday, say, late September. Fiasco.

I don't think you can really call an event with an estimated crowd of 6,000 and happy (if sweaty) faces all around a fiasco. Especially because the improvement over last year was obvious. But I agree that the heat is a major turn-off.

On the Hot Chicken Festival website, there are signs that they're not wedded to the July 4 date. There's a poll that suggests alternate dates for the festival, including Father's Day weekend and (drum roll please) the first Saturday in October. The latter sounds ideal.

Call me crazy, but I kind of like the torture of melting flesh and fiery tongue coming together as one blissfully hot amalgamation. I won't disagree that it could be a more pleasant experience in the fall, but I'm willing to endure a couple hours of Tennessee sun for some chicken...it certainly makes Bonnaroo seem even more of a scorching hot chickenless hippie hell than it already is.

I mind it less at Prince's, where you've at least got a roof over your head. (I do like the purgative sweatbox feeling it gives you as your pores empty.) But I prefer the chicken to do the cooking, not me.

The matter no one has brought up yet is how to have more food at the ready. I'd suggest tenders, which have a much shorter cooking time...but hot chicken really is a bone-in thang.

Also, while I'm griping, I'd like to see some awesome art connected with this festival. The T-shirts were a step in the right direction, but even those could be cooler. I nominate Bryce McCloud at Isle of Printing, or the Grand Palace gang.

recipes anyone?

ps. Indoors!

Thanks for all the comments, positive and critical. And I want to reply, I really do, but I have a jillion things to do before finally going on vacation (or vakay as we say in People speak), which I am finally allowed to do now that Sunday Rose Kidman Urban has been birthed and chronicled, and Nicole's incredible sprint to pre-pregnancy body two weeks after said birth has been noted. I will get back to you from Colorado next week, with an update from the Hot Chicken Fest II post mortem, held in Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors back yard, which was also quite scorching. I look forward to filling all interested parties in from a cooler clime. But I must second Ridley's point. We hardly consider more than 5000 mostly happy and satisfied people a fiasco. I even saw Matt Pulle smiling, though it may have been because I snuck him to the backside of Prince's van for a wing or town. I'll resist inviting DG to pluck off. We appreciate his/her attendance and hope he/she has a better experience next year. We are intent on improving the festival every year and welcome constructive criticism.

and has the website had a makeover or is it just me?

thank you for the updates. Who know there was such power in a blog posting! Can't wait to hear the inside scoop on the judging process as well. And yes, Kay, it's just you. kidding!

I will gladly cast a vote anywhere for a Fall and Evening date/time. I have eaten enough Hot Chicken (actually, extra hot) to have gotten invited to Ms. Andre's/Prince's 25th Anniversary Soiree, but I have never, ever eaten hot chicken in daylight. Unless the sun was coming up. Just can't get those to go together.

As for speeding up the process, given the ingredients and the methods, the way I see it you can only do it one way - more eyes on the stove and more BIG skillets on the eyes. BIG ones.

and big fire extinguishers at the ready.

I know some of the people involved in putting this shindig on and we've talked at length abut how it could get better and better. One issue that I think needs to be dealt with is that there has to be something to it OTHER than just showing up and standing in line for hot chicken...we can already do that at hot chicken joints.

Having attended the out-of-this-world Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle this year, it was interesting to see how they did it. It was only marginally about Moon Pies but there were a lot of things to do and see other than eat...they put on a whole hour-long production about Moon Pies and RC Cola, all told within the framework of A Midsummer Night's Dream. And then there were oddball games and then they hauled out the world's largest moon pie and everyone got to eat a piece. The Cornbread Festival in S. Pittsburg was the same, though closer in spirit to Hot Chicken....though they did have a carnival section.

I also sort of think they should chuck the family-friendly business. It's hot chicken, and therefore no child should really eat it - it's either too hot for them or they mild it down and in that case, it's just wasted chicken. Just have it be grown-ups and beer and hot chicken and great live music and a chicken parade. I think it's a great idea still in its embryonic phase but I have no doubt it'll end up being a top-of-the-line signature Nashville event.

Chicken Parade..now you're playing my song! I have been pushing for a Miz Hot Chicken Pageant segment, open to all genders, since spring. I thing my voice is being heard!

We are fully on board with having more things than just standing in line for hot chicken, we couldn't agree more. Again, keep in mind it's a growth curve. Anyone who attended the first East Nashville Tomato Festival can attest to that, and to how terrifically that little gem has grown and developed. Not too big, not too fast, just right. I was on board as the head judge of the tomato recipe contest from the very first one, and even in just that one part of the festival, it has grown wisely and well.
Chucking the family-friendly business is an intriguing prospect and one I will bring up for discussion. Very good point. I admit to being the one who suggsted keeping out dogs, as in the live drooling scratching barking crotch-sniffing type. I thought my committee colleagues from East Nashville were going to sic a pack of Rottweillers on me. Sorry. Bad idea....

Oh, and the music part should be called Chickenstock.

Ding! Ding! Ding! "Chickenstock" is a brilliant idea. (Gosh, I wonder where you could find musicians in East Nashville.) That would also bolster a shift away from the family-friendly aspect...or at least make it less contrived (i.e., kids could just show up with their parents and listen, instead of the event having to provide inflatable activities).

Rooster bingo in honor of the late Jerry Thompson?

Anecdotally, the dozens of people who were bailing on the heat, crowds, and lines at 11:15 would agree with my characterization of the event. But thank you anyway for your work.

I'm in total agreement with Barbara's suggestions about dispensing with the kid-friendliness. The Mermaid Parade in Coney Island might be a nice model for this: not everyone with kids is petrified of a fun street party, so the need to make everything really tame (especially in East Nashville!) shouldn't be an overwhelming problem.

But my main point is that hot chicken and noontime in July in Nashville do not mix, and the festival feels shoehorned into the 4th. I'd love to see a late afternoon Saturday parade down Fatherland to East Park, and beer, bands, and chicken in the early evening.

Who says this has to be in east Nashville? They have no more claim than any other part of the city.

DG. We can always use volunteers willing to put in some time prior to and day of fest. Let us know how to get in touch with you and we'll sign you up!

The early October date sounds appealing—not just because the temperatures will have cooled somewhat, but there wouldn't be a lot of competing events. (Make sure it's not a game day.)

I'd be glad to, Kay. Thanks for the invite! Would Brady Banks be a good person to ask for contact info to help out?

Doh! There's a contact e-mail on the website. E-mail sent.

Brady Banks is a great guy, but was not involved in this. Not sure why you thought so. But thanks and we look forward to your help. I will tell you that the great majority of the committee voted to keep it on the 4th Don't shoot the messenger.

Would they change their votes if there were sufficient response on the festival blog to the poll about different dates?

Hmmm. I've started and stopped this response 5 times. Ultimately, I'm going to chicken out...ouch..and say I can't speak for the committee. But I do believe that voting is not only a right, but a responsibility! God Bless America.