Poultry party
By Steve Herring and Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 11, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Kaya Harvey does a flip on the trampoline ride in the children's area of the 3rd annual Beak Week street festival Saturday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Leroy Randolph tries out different hula hoops during the Beak Week festival Saturday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
People enjoy sights and sounds of the 3rd annual Beak Week festival in the vendor area Saturday in downtown Goldsboro.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Aria McKnight, 4, jumps around in the blowup playground with her little brother Charles, 9 months, Saturday.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Randi Strong, 10, enjoys some sweet and sour wings with her mother, Teresa, during the 3rd annual Beak Week festival Saturday at Cornerstone Commons.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Michael Elzey eats a few trays of wings Saturday at Cornerstone Commons during the 3rd annual Beak Week festival. Elzey had plans to participate in the wing eating competition, but after it was canceled he decided to take his time and savor every bite.
Michael Elzey was confident he could have handily scratched out the Beak Week wing-eating contest to claim the $100 prize Saturday.
But he was not upset when the contest was canceled because of a shortage of contestants. It just meant that instead of the wings flying off his plate in two minutes that he had more time to enjoy the sweet and sour wings -- all 50 some.
The contest organizers also quickly rebounded and instead of letting the nearly 40 pounds of wings go to waste, it was decided to sell them four for a $1.
"They are excellent," Elzey said as someone offered him several wet wipes. "This is just a snack. I will probably eat about a three-pound brisket. I have never done a competition. I just like barbecued wings. I am just going to eat until I get filled up.
"When I go somewhere to eat I normally go to a buffet. When I go to a buffet I eat about nine or 10 plates. I have a fast metabolism. At 31 my metabolism hasn't slow down. It has sped up."
Saturday's day-long festivities were a continuation of Beak Week that landed in downtown Goldsboro Friday night as the streets were filled with the sounds of the Taz Band, competitors took shots during cornhole games and people tried dozens of chicken wings.
As Elzey continued to devour the wings Saturday, another band began playing just down from his seat in the Cornerstone Commons area as thousands of people flocked up and down South Center street during the third annual Beak Week tribute to the area's poultry industry. The event was sponsored by the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Dept.
One block was lined on both sides by food and arts and crafts vendors. A cornhole tournament was set up along Center Street and across the street a kids zone area offered inflatables and other activities for children.
Some of the downtown shops had their wares on display on the sidewalk.
A giant chicken was spotted walking around as well.
On the lawn next to the fire station, firefighters, rescue personnel and police had booths set up showing children how to dial and use 911 and teaching them to drop, stop and roll in the case of a fire.
Firefighters also had two rooms set up to show how a fire spreads in a room. A sprinkler system was set up in the second room to demonstrate how it can keep a fire from growing.
Elzey said he had found out about the festival through a family friend.
"I like the festival," he said. "You have nice cold beer and good wings. You can't ask for much more."
Over in the kids zone, Larry Harvey of Dudley watched as his daughter, Kaya, 11, jumped, bounced and performed flips on the bungee/trampoline.
Harvey said he had no interest in trying it himself.
"My enjoyment is right here," he said. "We have been here probably 40 minutes to an hour. We have done whatever she wanted to. We started on one end and worked our way down here. I am following her today."
Harvey said he was interested in trying out some of the food being offered.
"Everything," he said. "We are food junkies. We love food around here at my house. Barbecue, chicken, I have seen a variety. I am looking forward to everything. It is a great event. I think all the families need to come out and enjoy this and participate. This really is a great event for the county."
Harvey said it was the first time he had attended the festival. A friend suggested Harvey should check it out.
"I am happy we did," he said. "I think they have something for everyone, and that is the reason I think everyone really should come out and enjoy, because there really is something for everyone."
However, Harvey said he still was not going to try the bungee jump.
"I am going to leave that for the brave at heart," he said.
Kaya said she would jump with her father if he would do it.
"I enjoy it," she said. "It is like a wire rope that makes you go higher."
Kaya said she wanted to test the climbing wall and then look for Italian ice. Later, she was eating a large container of the ice as she and her father continued up Center Street.
Over on the lawn next to Cornerstone Commons Joyce Randolph, 65, was taking a hula-hoop for a spin. It didn't quite go as she had hoped.
"But it has been nearly 30 years since I have done that," she said. "I am a mom and a grandmom."
Meanwhile her husband, Leroy, had the hula-hoop spinning around and around him. She said she wasn't worried about that.
"No, he can out do me," she said. "It is all right. It probably as been as long for him as it has for me, as far as hula-hooping."
They were at the festival with their daughter and two young grandchildren.
"We have been walking around looking at different things," she said. "This is actually the first thing that we have tried since we have been out here. We have been out here about an hour."
Mrs. Randolph said they didn't really have a schedule but would just take things as they come along.
"I think everything is grand," she said. "I really enjoy everything."
On Friday night, the Wing Fling People's Choice Award tasting contest offered the chance to try 10 wings at a cost of $5, with the proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne County.
"Oh, it's delicious," said Lou Ann Overman. "It's reasonable. It's a lot more fun than sitting down at a restaurant."
Overman and her husband, Larry, walked among the 45 cooking team booths on the grassy lot along South Center Street, which was set up as the evening tasting area.
They also take advantage of the night's events during their regular visits to downtown Goldsboro each week, Overman said.
"We're running into people that we see down here when we come down for date night," she said. "We just feel like we're making new friends."
The cooking teams, which also participated in Saturday's Kansas City Barbeque Society competition, were able to showcase their cooking styles and barbecue flavors during the tasting.
Teams served up chicken wings, covered or cooked in a variety of homemade sauces. The teams came from across North Carolina, including areas like Greenville, Lucama and Raleigh, and other locations, including Virginia.
After trying different wings from cookers like the Smokehouse Bandits, Grillbusters and the Smokehouse Mafia, people were offered the chance to vote on their favorites.
People's Choice Award winners were selected from the top votes and were to be announced near the end of the Saturday Beak Week street festival on Center Street.
Sherry Daw collected a basket full of chicken wings and wanted to try as many as she could.
"I've probably tasted 10 or more, and I've got more to taste," she said. "They're all pretty distinct. I like the smoked, but I'm more of a grilled person. I want to try them all."
Daw cast votes for a couple teams, including the Fried Up Smokers and Evel Que-Nievel.
Beak Week -- Goldsboro's week-long, poultry-themed festival that celebrates the county's poultry industry -- offered a variety of events leading up to the main event Saturday. A scavenger hunt was held all week, a Chicken Chase walk and run was on Wednesday, and the Fowl Play softball matchup between local doctors and lawyers was held Thursday.