Spring Chicken Festival set for May 4

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SILER CITY — The inaugural Spring Chicken Festival in historic downtown Siler City will turn the streets of Siler City into a chicken-inspired midway, complete with a Ferris wheel, a 28-foot rock wall and inflatable attractions, all of which will be free for use by those in attendance.

The May 4 event is being funded by a single sponsor, Mountaire Farms, which held the grand opening of it $170 million, 265,000 square-foot poultry plant in Siler City last week.

The festival is being called “a new take on the old festival that began in the late 1980’s and that so many remember and have cherished memories of” by the town’s Parks and Recreation department.

“We are overwhelmed by the positive feedback and support that we have received from the community and our sponsor Mountaire Farms,” Siler City Parks and Recreation Department Administrative Support Specialist Daniel Spivey said. “It truly excites us to hear people share their memories of the Chicken Festival in previous years and how they look forward to making new memories for generations to come. Our team hopes the Spring Chicken Festival will create a positive economic and social impact, increase tourism in the historic district of downtown Siler City and promote diverse Parks and Recreation programming all while enjoying delicious chicken. We look forward to a day full of fun of celebrating the poultry industry and its importance in the county’s economy while highlighting everyone and everything that makes Siler City a wonderful place to discover, live, work and play.”

There will be more than 110 vendors throughout the festival spanning art and craft vendors, local merchants and businesses, raffles and giveaways, food vendors and food trucks, bakeries, churches, civic groups, organizations and non-profits. Food vendors will be located along Chatham Ave offering a variety of foods including Chicken Wings, Fried Chicken, Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, Hispanic food, seafood and more. Many of vendors have registered to sell carnival-style treats such as funnel cakes, Deep Fried Oreos, and ice cream.

The “kids attractions” including the Ferris Wheel will be located on Second Street. Pirates from the Pieces of Eight Troupe will be welcoming children aboard their Pirate Ship and there will be a Touch-A-Truck event as well.

East Raleigh Street will host the Classic Car Show where cars will be showcased throughout the event. Oasis Open Air Market, located on the corner of Chatham Avenue and Beaver Street will be presenting the Beer Garden from noon until 9 p.m. with great craft beverages by several breweries and wineries. There will be a DJ located at the Beer Garden as well as a Dunking Booth.

The Siler City Parks and Recreation Department will be raising funds for the Relay For Life of Chatham County. Everyone is encouraged to stop by the Dunking Booth at Oasis Open Air Market from 3 - 4 p.m. to dunk Siler City Town Manager, Bryan Thompson. All donations from that hour-long fundraiser will benefit the Chatham County Relay For Life.

There will be a main stage on Raleigh Street. Live music will begin there at 11 a.m. with the cool sounds of the Jordan-Matthews Jazz Band under the direction of J.C. Harper as they take the main stage to open the Spring Chicken Festival. The band will perform classics like “St. Louis Blues” and “Stand By Me,” as well as newer favorites as “Uptown Funk.”

The Sand Band, featured in the 2018 Carolina Beach Music Awards in Myrtle Beach, will be live in concert beginning at 1 p.m. The Sand band is a variety/Dance Band based in Pinehurst, covering favorites from Motown, Classic Rock, Oldies, and Carolina Beach and Shag music. Award-winning, acoustic country band and Siler City’s own Nu-Blu will close out the festival beginning at 4 p.m.

Spring Chicken Festival can be found on Facebook or at www.silercity.org.