Town of Gordonsville Prepares for 2026 Fried Chicken Festival By Anna Pillow, Director of Community & Economic Development, Town of Gordonsville Gordonsville’s rich fried chicken heritage is closely tied to the legacy of the local Black women known as “waiter carriers,” who sold platters of fried chicken to railroad passengers in the 19th century. Their efforts helped establish the town’s reputation and inspired a local newspaper editor in 1869 to proclaim Gordonsville the “Chicken-leg Centre of the Universe.” To celebrate this unique cultural heritage, the Town of Gordonsville is holding its Annual Fried Chicken Festival on Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the area surrounding Gordonsville Town Hall (112 S. Main Street) and is a “rain or shine” event. The 2025 Fried Chicken Festival brought over 3,500 people to Main Street for a deep-fried good time, and the 2026 edition promises to be even bigger. This year’s festival features 70 vendors of all kinds, including 19 food vendors—at least 7 of whom plan to serve up chicken during the festival and will compete for the winning spot in this year’s Fried Chicken Contest. This year’s festival also includes a section dedicated to town history where residents can share their stories for inclusion in a local exhibit. The exhibit will be installed at the Gordonsville Visitor Center and is supported in part by a grant from The Bama Works Fund of the Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. To make this effort possible, the Town is partnering with local history organizations including the Exchange Hotel, the James Madison Museum of Orange County Heritage, and the Orange County African American Historical Society, all of whom are participating in the festival. Additionally, Virginian artist Sean Renfroe will present a display on the history of photography in the late 19th century and offer tintype portrait sittings throughout the day. The day’s entertainment will feature a performance by The Skip Castro Band, and event sponsors Piedmont Communications (WJMA/WJOL) will be there to keep the tunes going all day long. For those over 21, this year’s festival will also feature a beer and wine garden where attendees can enjoy offerings from Patch Brewing Co. and Well Hung Vineyard. Learn more at www.townofgordonsville.org.
www.eatsmartmovemoreva.org OCI September 2026
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