Coming in Hot, Hot, Hot – A July 4 Gallery
Written by Natalie Davis on July 4, 2015
Rain could not quench the fiery fun of the annual Nashville Fourth of July event. (Photos by ND)
The ninth annual Music City Hot Chicken Festival at East Park was so much fun! Many hundreds braved cloudy skies to attend the event, which benefits East Nashville group Friends of Shelby Bottom.
So much, so good!: The traditional hot chicken was represented by a host of Nashville’s spicy poultry mainstays, including Hattie B’s, Prince’s, Deezie’s, Bolton’s and Chicken Shack. There was alternative hot chicken, in the form of Otaku’s Japanese hot chicken buns and grilled and smoked bird by Smokin’ Thighs. Also available were Georgia peaches, ice cream from Pied Piper Creamery, watermelon from the Community Food (sponsored by poultry king Tyson, no less). Sounds mascot Booster the Rooster was there to greet the kids. And I caught two musical performances: festival veteran Shelby Bottom String Band brought the twang and, in the beer tent, the smokin’ Half Brass made East Nashville sound like Bourbon Street.
I did not imbibe (water and grilled bird for me), but was glad to be inside the makeshift shelter when the skies opened and a powerful downpour descended upon the festivities. Being Nashville, the shower did not last too long, but it was interesting to note that the long lines at the hot-chicken stands did not dissipate. Even folks sans umbrellas kept the faith.Though soaked to the skin, eventually they nabbed their prize: crimson-colored, cayenne-rich, crispy goodness. I tip my hat to each and every one of those tenacious souls.
The following photo gallery shows a good time was had by all. (I recommend you don’t autoplay; experience it manually.)
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- East Park at 700 Woodland Ave. was the site of the Independence Day tradition.
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- The first 500 attendees, some arriving as early as 8am, were given the privilege of free hot-chicken samples. I got there at 11 and decided I’d rather pay.
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- Hattie B’s is considered by many to have the most popular hot chicken in Music City.
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- The founders of what became Prince’s Hot Chicken are reputed to be the inventors of the dish.
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- The Russ Belville Show, part of the GDPR program family
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- Retro Sno Cones was on hand with sweet, cool relief.
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- Pied Piper Creamery of East Nashville was on hand with frozen treats too.
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- The band Half Brass, which has played the past three Hot Chicken fests, brought the beer tent down with its N’awlins rock and jazz.
Natalie Davis On July 4, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Yes, I know the video appears sideways. When I play it outside of WordPress, it plays correctly. Working on it…