Created in 2007, the annual Music City Hot
Chicken Festival brings together the local
community and visitors to celebrate the
uniquely-Nashville dish, Hot Chicken.
As recently featured by the famous food
chain, Kentucky Fried Chicken... Hot Chicken
is an infamous Nashville, Tennessee, food. So
what is this Hot Chicken?
It turn out there is quite a story behind this
famous chicken recipe. Back in the 1930s,
there was a man named Thornton Prince, a
handsome, tall and good-looking man known
for being somewhat of a womanizer. One of
Thornton’s women got fed up and wanted
revenge. So she made him his favorite fried
chicken. But this time she added the hottest
spices in her kitchen with the
hopes of making it beyond ability
to digest. But her plan backfired.
He loved it.
In 1945, Prince Thornton, along
with his brothers,
created their own Hot
Chicken recipe and
opened Prince’s Hot
July 4
700 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN
Chicken Shack in Nashville. This family legacy
has been transformed into a Nashville icon
and has everyone’s mouth watering for a
taste. Not too far from the original location of
Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, the inaugural Hot
Chicken Festival took place. It has grown to
be one of Nashville’s largest festivals.
This FREE event starts off with the Fire Truck
Parade at 10:30am followed by free Hot
Chicken samples to the first 500 people in
line. Festival gates open at 11:00am. Visitors
can enjoy Hot Chicken from Nashville’s
best Hot Chicken establishments and other
delicious edibles from local vendors.
Live music from local bands keeps the
“Nashville” vibe going all day long, and visitors
can look on while five teams try
their hand at cooking up their
version of Hot Chicken in the
Amateur Cooking Competition.
The event ends at 3pm, when
visitors can make their way
downtown for the annual
fireworks display.
Filling the 150,000 square feet of downtown’s
Gatlinburg Convention Center, the Gatlinburg
Craftsmen’s Fair hosts Artisans and Craftsmen
from all over the nation. Two hundred booths
with unique and one-of-a-kind handmade
products are beautifully displayed as these
skilled craftspeople demonstrate
their talents. All items represented
are handmade, and of utmost
quality and without duplication.
Look for exceptional pottery
pieces, molded leather, copper
art, local candy makers and many
more unique items.
There is something for everyone
at the Fair. The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair
and Smoky Mountain Resort Ministries
provide a free Kid’s Corner during the July
fair, with a selection of D.I.Y. crafts for our
youngest visitors to take home with them.
Enjoy contemporary country, bluegrass and
your favorite gospel tunes at 12 and 3 daily.
Concessions are available for sale through the
Gatlinburg Convention Center.
The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair usually takes
most of the day to see. If you didn’t quite get
through it all, multi-day passes are available.
Come off the street and beat the July heat to
celebrate the 44th Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair.
www.hot-chicken.com
July 12-21
Gatlinburg Convention Center
Gatlinburg, TN
Daily: 10am - 6pm
Sundays: 10am - 5 pm
2019 SUMMER FESTIVALS
/www.hot-chicken.com