Tussey Mountain’s annual WingFest is making a return next month. Here’s what to know
Tussey Mountain’s WingFest, one of Centre County’s most popular summer events, is returning next month after taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A number of details, such as the competing restaurants, still needs to be finalized. But the dates and bands are set — as is the new $10 entrance fee — and Tussey Mountain officials are looking forward to a further return to normalcy next month.
Every Thursday, starting July 1 and continuing through Aug. 12, the public is invited to eat wings, listen to live music and enjoy the festivities from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Boalsburg site.
“We’re just really excited to get the dates on people’s calendars,” Tussey marketing director Aaron Weyman said. “And we think people will be excited to get out, too.”
The seven-week wing competition pits restaurants and groups against one another for each of the first six weeks, with each weekly winner — as voted on by attendees — advancing to the “championship” on the seventh week. The Wilderness Lodge in Milroy has won the last two WingFests.
There will be a few changes for the 2021 edition. For the first time in years, the entrance fee will increase this year to $10, from the normal $5, due to the rising costs of chicken wings, which hit an all-time high price in February. Newsweek reported last month that wings, normally priced at $1.50 to 1.70 a pound in the northeast, now cost between $3 and $4.
Organizers hope that admission increase means the cost of the wings themselves — usually $2 in tickets for three wings — will remain the same for attendees, but WingFest is still crunching numbers to see for sure.
There will also be several hand-washing stations around the area, masks will be available (but not required), and the number of wing-making competitors might be fewer than usual. Still, Weyman said organizing the event was no easy task this year, and he hopes the community will be patient as WingFest regains its footing.
After all, organizers initially started planning for WingFest if it was limited to 500 attendees. Then the COVID guidelines changed, so WingFest changed with them. Then the restrictions loosened again, so WingFest pivoted again. Rinse and repeat once or twice more, and you can get an idea of just how much planning went into the event.
“It was really fortunate that it worked out the way it did for us,” Weyman added. “And there was no shortage of bands wanting to play.”
The band lineup was among the first things WingFest announced. It looks like this:
- July 1: Velveeta and J.R. Mangan Band (featuring Veronica Auger)
- July 8: Completely Unchained, a tribute to Van Halen, and Quarterstick
- July 15: Pure Cane Sugar and Ted And the Hi-Fi’s
- July 22: Katz 22 and Cousin Neddie
- July 29: Bonfire, a tribute to AC/DC, and Miss Melanie
- Aug. 5: The Ten Band, a tribute to Pearl Jam, and Obvious Pocket
- Aug. 12: My Hero Zero with Kristi Jean & Her Ne’er-Do-Wells
WingFest, an annual tradition for about 20 years, anticipates it will start naming competitors by early next week. For updates, check out its Facebook page at facebook.com/TusseyMountain.
In the meantime, Weyman hopes the community will circle the dates on their calendar, understand the 2021 WingFest might look at least a little different and get ready for the return of a summer staple.
“We’re trying our best to make people feel comfortable,” Weyman said. “Hopefully, we can have a great summer back.”
