National Chicken Wing Day is celebrated every July 29, marking the anniversary of a 1977 proclamation by Buffalo Mayor Stan Makowski that formally recognized the city’s signature dish. The holiday honors the Buffalo wing, credited to the Anchor Bar in 1964, and gives restaurants nationwide a reason to offer free wings and discounts each summer.
How the Holiday Began
Buffalo Mayor Stan Makowski issued the official proclamation in 1977, declaring July 29 as Chicken Wing Day. The document noted that Buffalo residents were already eating “thousands of pounds of chicken wings” every week in local restaurants and taverns, making the proclamation a civic tribute to a dish the city had already embraced. The date has stayed fixed on the calendar ever since and is now marked nationwide, nearly 50 years later.
Note: National Chicken Wing Day is separate from National Chicken Wing Month, which takes place in October.
The Contested Origin of the Buffalo Wing
The most widely told origin story credits Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, with inventing the dish in 1964. She deep-fried leftover wings, tossed them in a butter-and-hot-sauce mixture, and served them with celery and blue cheese as a late-night snack for her son’s friends.
However, a second, well-documented account gives credit to John Young, a Black restaurateur who opened Wings and Things on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo around the same era. Young served whole, breaded, fried wings coated in a tomato-based “mambo sauce,” and he maintained throughout his life that he originated the Buffalo wing before the Anchor Bar popularized its version. Buffalo’s Common Council proclaimed in 1982, crediting Young as the originator, though his role has received far less mainstream recognition than Bellissimo’s. Because both accounts are documented but conflict on who came first, the exact origin remains genuinely disputed rather than settled fact.
Wings and the Super Bowl
Chicken wing consumption has grown into a measurable part of American food culture, most visibly around the Super Bowl. The National Chicken Council projected that Americans would eat approximately 1.48 billion chicken wings for Super Bowl LX in February 2026, an increase of roughly 10 million wings over the previous year. This scale illustrates how far the dish has traveled from its origins as a discarded cut of meat destined for stock.
Ways to Celebrate
- Take advantage of local offers: Check mobile apps for single-day discounts and reward points.
- Explore regional styles: Try flavors beyond classic Buffalo, such as Korean soy garlic, Thai chili, or lemon pepper.
- Host a wing tasting: Rank local independent shops vs. national chains.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date Observed | July 29, every year |
| Year Established | 1977 (Proclamation by Mayor Stan Makowski) |
| Anchor Bar Origin | 1964 (Teressa Bellissimo) |
| Alternative Origin Claim | Mid-1960s (John Young, Wings and Things) |
| Separate Observance | National Chicken Wing Month (October) |
| Super Bowl LX Forecast | 1.48 billion wings |
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