1. All competing vendors must complete and submit an approved vendor application and pay the applicable booth fee prior to the event. Booth fees are non-refundable.

2. Competing vendors must arrive and have their booth fully set up by the designated load-in time. Late arrivals may forfeit their competition spot without a refund.

3. All competing vendors must comply with local health department regulations and maintain a valid food handler's permit or license for the duration of the event.

4. Vendors are responsible for all of their own equipment, cookware, serving supplies, and ingredients unless otherwise specified by the organizer.

5. All wings must be prepared and cooked on site or brought hot and ready to serve. Pre-packaged or store-bought wings are strictly prohibited.

6. Competing vendors must keep their booth clean, organized, and safe at all times. Event staff reserves the right to shut down any booth that poses a health or safety risk.

7. Competing vendors agree to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully toward guests, fellow vendors, judges, and event staff at all times. Disrespectful or disruptive behavior will result in immediate disqualification and removal from the event without a refund.

8. All decisions made by the judging panel are final and are not subject to appeal or dispute.

1. Each competing vendor is required to serve one wing per wristband holder throughout the event with a guarantee of at least 300 wings.

2. No substitutions — the AYCE wing is the vendor's designated competition wing only. Guests may not request a different flavor, sauce, cut, or preparation.

3. Wings served to wristband holders must be the same wing being submitted for judging. Vendors may not serve a different or lesser quality wing to guests while submitting a separate wing to judges.

4. Vendors are not obligated to serve free entry guests or anyone without a valid wristband.

5. Wings may not be shared with or passed to guests who do not have a valid wristband.

1. Competing vendors are encouraged to prepare and sell side dishes, sauces, merchandise, and extras at any price they choose. All sales from side dishes and additional items are kept in full by the vendor — the festival takes no percentage of vendor sales.

2. Side dishes, sauces, and extras are sold separately and are not included in the AYCE wristband. Vendors are not obligated to include any extras with the free wing.

3. Competing vendors are strictly prohibited from selling any beverages at their booth with the exception of bottled water. All other drink sales are reserved exclusively for designated drink vendors.

4. No outside alcohol is permitted at any competing vendor booth at any time.

All competing vendors will be judged across the following five categories. Vendors may be eligible for more than one category based on their wing submission:

• 🏆 Best Classic Buffalo — judged on flavor, sauce balance, heat level, and overall execution of a traditional buffalo wing

• 🔥 Best Dry Rub — judged on seasoning depth, crust, texture, and originality of the dry rub blend

• 🌶 Hottest Wing — judged on heat level, flavor, and whether the heat enhances or overpowers the wing

• ⭐ Most Creative Flavor — judged on originality, creativity, and how well the flavor concept is executed

• 🗳 People's Choice — determined entirely by guest votes collected throughout the day via the official wing passport voting system. Every paid wristband holder receives one vote.

All categories except People's Choice will be judged by a panel of local food experts, chefs, and community figures on the following criteria:

• Flavor — overall taste, seasoning, and sauce balance

• Texture — crispiness, juiciness, and quality of the cook

• Presentation — visual appeal and how the wing is plated and served

• Originality — creativity and uniqueness of the flavor profile

• Overall Experience — the full impression the wing leaves on the judge

Each category is scored on a scale of 1–10 per judge. Scores are tallied by event staff and kept confidential until the live awards ceremony.

Top competitors in each category will be recognized at the live awards ceremony held on the main stage at the end of the event.

All category winners will receive an official engraved plaque recognizing their achievement at the Houston Chicken Wing Festival. 1st place winners in their category will receive a cash prize.

A competing vendor may be disqualified from the competition for any of the following reasons:

• Submitting a wing to judges that differs from the wing being served to guests

• Selling or serving drinks other than bottled water at their booth

• Violating any health or safety regulation during the event

• Disrespectful or threatening behavior toward guests, judges, or event staff

• Misrepresenting their business or menu on their vendor application

• Failure to comply with any of the rules outlined on their contract

Disqualified vendors will not receive a refund of their booth fee and will not be eligible for any prizes or awards.

Acceptable Wing Types

Competitors may submit any of the following as their official competition wing:

• Traditional bone-in chicken wings — flats, drums, or whole wings

• Boneless chicken wings — must be made from whole chicken breast or thigh meat formed and breaded to resemble a traditional wing. Standard boneless wings are acceptable.

• Smoked wings

• Grilled wings

• Fried wings

• Baked wings

• Air fried wings

• Wood fired wings

• Slow cooked or braised wings finished with a dry rub or sauce

• Any combination of cooking methods is permitted — for example smoked then fried, or grilled then sauced

Not Acceptable

The following will not be accepted as a competition wing and may result in disqualification:

• Chicken tenders or chicken strips — long flat cuts of chicken breast are not considered a wing format regardless of preparation

• Chicken nuggets — pre-formed processed chicken pieces do not qualify

• Popcorn chicken — bite-sized fried chicken pieces do not qualify

• Chicken satay or skewered chicken — skewered preparations are not a wing format

• Pre-cooked store bought or pre-packaged wings — all wings must be prepared fresh by the competing vendor. Reheated commercially prepared wings are strictly prohibited

• Frozen pre-seasoned wings heated on site — wings must be seasoned and prepared by the vendor from raw or fresh chicken only

• Any wing not made from chicken — turkey wings, duck wings, or any other poultry will not be accepted for the competition

Wing Preparation Standards

• All wings must be fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F in compliance with food safety standards

• Wings must be prepared and cooked by the competing vendor — outsourcing preparation to another kitchen or vendor is not permitted

• Dry rubs, wet rubs, sauces, glazes, and marinades are all permitted with no restrictions on flavor profile

• Wings may be served plain, sauced, or with sauce on the side — the presentation is entirely up to the vendor

• Vendors must maintain proper food handling and temperature standards throughout the event in compliance with local health department regulations

• Wings must be served in a food safe container — tray, basket, boat, or plate. Bare hands or unsanitary serving methods are not permitted

• Gloves must be worn by all staff handling food at any time during the event

Size & Portion Standards

• Each wing served to AYCE wristband guests must be a full size wing — not a mini wing or wing tip

• Wing tips alone do not qualify as a served wing for the AYCE obligation

• Boneless wings must be a minimum of 2 inches in length to qualify — bite-sized pieces do not count

• Judges must receive the same size and quality wing being served to guests — vendors may not serve judges a larger or higher quality wing than what guests receive