Salisbury Gears Up For Chicken Fest

SALISBURY — Ten of thousands of visitors from across the Delmarva Peninsula will head to Salisbury, Maryland this weekend (June 15-16) for the highly anticipated 63rd Delmarva Chicken Festival. This annual celebration of chicken and the region’s chicken industry will be held at The Centre at Salisbury.

The Festival is sponsored by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI), the non-profit trade association working on behalf of the region’s chicken industry, and hosted this year by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce (SACC). Major financial support has been received from corporate partnerships with Toyota, Mountaire Farms, Great Scott Broadcasting, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, Comcast, and the Pohanka Automotive Group.

“This is an event you won’t want to miss,” said Dr. James McNaughton, festival co-chair representing the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. “Chamber volunteers have worked for a year to organize an exciting festival that highlights the enormous impact the Delmarva chicken industry has across the region and the nation.”

The family-focused event runs Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and features a schedule of diverse and exciting offerings, most of which are of little or no charge.

“The Delmarva Chicken Festival is one of the best deals around,” said festival co-chair Robbie Tarpley Raffish. “Admission, including most of the entertainment, is free, and there is plenty of free parking. There are fun and educational activities for every age. It’s a rare event that is suitable for all ages and budgets, and the Delmarva Chicken Festival fits the bill.”

There’s a long list of things to do, starting with the PNC Bank Home & Trade Show and the Arts & Crafts Show. "Delmarva Farm Families Feed Us", an educational display coordinated by DPI and representatives from local universities, will give consumers a closer look at how chicken is produced and will also provide historical commentary on the development of the poultry industry in Wicomico Country. The always popular Baby Chick Display allows attendees to delight in holding the warm, fuzzy unofficial mascots of the event.

There are so many programs for children that the University of Maryland Extension and the Maryland Soybean Board have designed a contest called “The Chicken Hunt” that takes children on a “tour” of the festival grounds.

A special Children’s Activity Area filled with games and more is hosted by Camp Odyssey @ The Salisbury School and Lower Shore YMCA and sponsored by Peninsula Regional Medical Center.

About The Author: Steven Green

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The writer has been with The Dispatch in various capacities since 1995, including serving as editor and publisher since 2004. His previous titles were managing editor, staff writer, sports editor, sales account manager and copy editor. Growing up in Salisbury before moving to Berlin, Green graduated from Worcester Preparatory School in 1993 and graduated from Loyola University Baltimore in 1997 with degrees in Communications (journalism concentration) and Political Science.