It appears Victoria is still starved for food events after an inaugural chicken wing festival sold out just an hour and 15 minutes after tickets went on sale.
The first annual Victoria Wing Fest will be held on June 8 at the Roundhouse Building in Vic West. While the event may not have the history of other long-running food festivals like Esquimalt Ribfest and Victoria Beer Week, it had no problem selling out.
"The whole thing just kind of went viral," said organizer Lori Frank. "We've done no paid advertising or anything, it's just taken off…apparently Victoria's been waiting for a wing fest."
The festival will showcase chicken wings from a number of local restaurants, including 5th Street Bar and Grill, McRaes and the Gorge Pointe Pub, as well as craft beverages from B.C. breweries.
The fortunate 450 people who obtained tickets will also be treated to live music and a silent auction and get to cast their vote in a chicken wing competition.
But the festival isn't just meant to fill the bellies of chicken wing enthusiasts. Organizers decided to make it a fundraiser with all proceeds going to Victoria General Hospital's Pediatric ICU.
They say they're taking inspiration from Eliza May, a six-year-old Victoria girl who lives with a severe undiagnosed auto-immune condition that requires constant medical care from the ICU.
"It is our wish that we can give back to the people who have given so much to us, so that they can continue to give to others," Stacey, Eliza's mother, said in a post on the Victoria Wing Fest website.
The goal is to raise more than $10,000 while also putting a spotlight on Victoria chefs, said event coordinator Tanya Quin.
"We're hoping that this will give the chefs in Victoria in pubs and restaurants an opportunity to bring something of an unusual aspect, to really get people going on a different variety," Quin said. "Or just do whatever wing is the most popular in your restaurant. We're just hoping that it'll provide a good time and good atmosphere for everybody."
While tickets sold out quickly, Frank said "there may be" one more small ticket release before the June event.