GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – It’s been a while since things got spicy in downtown Glens Falls. Next month, the city’s annual Wing Fest competition is returning, after being called off in 2021 due to continued crowd and social distancing concerns pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s competition is set for Saturday, April 30, across downtown Glens Falls. From noon to 3 p.m., restaurants will take to the streets, setting up booths along Glen, Ridge, Bay and Maple streets and competing for the best chicken wing in Glens Falls.

This year, there’s a special theme being added to the festivities. At 2 p.m. on Glen Street, the first-ever Michael DuBray Inferno Wing Eating Competition, named after WCKM radio host and local personality Michael DuBray, who passed away in January. Competitors will be put through an extra-spicy wing-eating trial for a $25 admission fee. All proceeds will go towards the Michael DuBray Scholarship Fund.

More restaurants are still invited to apply online to become part of the competition. The competition kicks off with an opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m. in City Park, including a performance of the National Anthem by the St. Mary-St. Alphonsus School Choir. Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins will proclaim the day “DeeJay Mike DuBray Day.”

Tasting tickets are $1 each, with ticket-to-tasting prices varying by restaurant. Participants can vote on their favorite wings online, with QR codes available throughout downtown. This year’s judges include Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins; Council at-Large Jim Clark; North Creek native and Olympic trial speed skater Birdie Farrell; and Chef Armand Vanderstigchel of Brasserie Benelux in Saratoga Springs.