12th Annual UCP Heartland Wing Ding competition takes place at The Factory in Chesterfield on August 30 (updated with this year's winners)

Attendees can sample and vote on 30 varieties of chicken wings.

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No matter the season, the weather (or even the price), chicken wings—fried, smoked, sauced, trashed, you name it—have remained a restaurant menu staple and customer favorite. So it’s only logical that, year after year, the UCP Heartland Wing Ding continues to be a popular event.

Cue your taste buds, and fetch that ochre-colored shirt from the basement (just in case). After holding virtual events in 2020 and 2021, the Wing Ding is being held at The Factory in Chesterfield (17105 N. Outer Road) from 6–9 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30.

This year, 11 local restaurants (see below) will vie for awards across three categories: Buffalo, Dry Rub, and Specialty. A panel of 30 celebrity judges will determine the winners in a blind tasting, with first, second, and third places named in each category.

Since there are multiple restaurants and categories, a total of 30 wing samples will be available. Attendees are encouraged to cast their votes for the coveted People's Choice Award. (New this year: Get a card punched at all participating restaurants, and be entered for a chance to win $550 in gift cards, with $50 from each restaurant).

Every year, the most anticipated category is the no-holds-barred Specialty Wing. Past entrants have included a wing with andouille sausage and jalapeño wrapped in a potato nest; a jambalaya-stuffed, bacon-wrapped wing with Cajun Alfredo sauce; and a crab cake–stuffed, bacon-wrapped drummie on a skewer drizzled with two sauces along with a lagniappe of spiced shrimp. (One judge was so impressed with the last one, he scored it with “three 11s” out of a possible 30 total points.)

The annual event is upbeat and family-friendly, and all proceeds benefit UCP Heartland, whose programs and services provide children and adults living with differing abilities extraordinary care and support to thrive in school, at home, at work, and in their community. Sponsorships for the event are still available.

In addition, on- and off-site guests can participate in a raffle and a silent auction. (Details will be made available here next week.) General admission tickets are $30 (or $40 on the day of the event) and include unlimited wings. (Bottled water, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages are extra.) 

Ticket information and event details can be found on UCP Heartland’s website.

Participating Restaurants

  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • Chicken Out
  • Duke’s BBQ
  • Felix’s Pizza Pub
  • Gobble Stop Smokehouse
  • Lester’s Bar & Grill
  • Midwestern
  • Rock & Brews
  • Satchmo’s Bar and Grill
  • Sportsman’s Park Restaurant
  • Wheelhouse

Last Year’s Winners

Traditional

  • 1st: Grace Meat + Three
  • 2nd: Buffalo Wild Wings
  • 3rd: Fallon’s

Specialty

  • 1st: Grace Meat + Three
  • 2nd: Sugarfire Smoke House
  • 3rd: Rock & Brews

Dry-Rubbed

  • 1st: Grace Meat + Three
  • 2nd: Syberg’s
  • 3rd: Sugarfire Smoke House

People's Choice: Syberg’s

Note: Grace Meat + Three swept the three judge’s categories in 2020 and 2021. Rather than participate again, owner Rick Lewis opted to help judge this year's competition. (Full disclosure: SLM dining editor George Mahe will serve as a judge as well.)

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This Year's Winners: Held in a new venue (The Factory in Chesterfield), the 2022 event was full of surprises: 200 people bought tickets during the final 2 days (bringing the attendance to 960) and a record amount of money ($77,000+) was raised. Here are this year's winning wings:

Traditional Buffalo:

1st- Duke’s BBQ Shack- Score: 8.1 out of 10

2nd- ChickenOut - Score: 7.7 out of 10

3rd- Rock & Brews- Score: 6.7 out of 10

Dry Rub:

1st- Duke’s BBQ Shack- Score: 9.8 out of 10

2nd- ChickenOut- Score: 8.6 out of 10

3rd- Midwestern/Wheelhouse- Score: 7.2 out of 10

Specialty:

1st- ChickenOut- Score: 9 out of 10

2nd- Tie between Felix’s Pizza & Duke’s BBQ Shack- Score: 8.3 out of 10

3rd- Lester’s- Score: 8 out of 10

People’s Choice: Felix’s Pizza Pub

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