G’ville Fried Chicken Festival to Take Place Oct. 7
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Gordonsville will once again host its famous Fried Chicken Festival this Saturday, Oct. 7, in recognition of the town’s heritage as the “chicken leg center of the universe.”
The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gordonsville Fire Company Fairgrounds on Baker Street and will feature food, live music, a wine garden and approximately 45 artisan vendors. Judging for the fan-favorite pie bake-off and fried chicken contest will take place at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Those who wish to get an early start can sign up for Gordonsville’s seventh annual Chicken Run 5K, which begins at 10 a.m., or the Kids Chicken Run 1K at 10:05 a.m. Entry is $20 for the 5K or $5 for the 1K, and proceeds benefit the Dix Memorial Pool fund.
David Solomon, Gordonsville Visitor Center director, shared that the event is a way of maintaining the town’s cultural history while having fun and bringing the community together.
“Gordonsville has always been a railroad town, and back in the late 1800s, the trains didn’t have A/C or dining cars,” he explained.
To meet the need, business-minded Black women known as “waiter-carriers” sold fried chicken along with pies, biscuits and drinks, to passengers in railroad cars stopped in Gordonsville — a frequent occurrence given the town’s historical status as a transportation crossroads. As members of the African-American community gained additional liberties following the Civil War, selling chicken became a crucial way of establishing economic security that could be difficult to attain otherwise.
“Once the Civil War ends, people needed jobs,” Solomon said. “Emancipation also gave new freedoms, and this particular industry gave them a really interesting opportunity to gain financial independence through cooking skills.”
And with more travelers from across the state and region visiting the festival each year, visitors will have the opportunity continue their weekend plans with a new event taking place the next day. On Sunday, Oct. 8, Gordonsville On Main will keep the party going with an antique and vintage vendor market along Main Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more about the 2023 Gordonsville Fried Chicken Festival, visit www.townofgordonsville.org/events/fried_chicken_festival.php. For additional details about the Chicken Run 5K and Kids Chicken Run 1K, including registration forms, visit www.townofgordonsville.org/events/5k_chicken_run.php.