David's Blog from the Creative Coast & Carolina Low Country!

Hilton Head's 14th Annual, Wing Fest. Bring Wet Naps!

This Saturday, March 21, the Shelter Cove Park comes alive with Chicken Wing enthusiasts. This year there are 15 entrants trying to win bragging rights. If you do not like Chicken wings, they will have pizza, hot dogs and ice cream. For those of you that need to focus on your NCAA brackets, there will be large screen televisions to keep you updated on scores and highlights.

There will also be live music for those not camping out in front of the televisions. I am looking forward to it, my aunt and uncle are visiting from Atlanta. I mentioned it last night and they are all for it. I grew up on chicken wings, not living too far from Buffalo when I was going to school, there was always an abundance of wings. I remember the ten cent wing during Monday Night Football at the Press Box, but my all time favorites are Sal's Birdland, a hot mustard wing, every-time I visit central New York I pick up a few bottles of Sal's.

My first experience with multi-flavored wings were at Hilton Head's Wild Wing Cafe when I moved to the Low Country in 1992. Wings, sports and beer make a great day out. This Saturday's's event is great fundraiser and introduces the creativity of all the entrants, so I hope to see you there. It starts at 11 AM and continues to 6 PM. For more information, click the link, www.islandreccenter.org. Enjoy!

Hilton Head's 17th Annual Lowcountry Soup Challenge

This Sunday, the Lowcountry Soup Challenge returns to the Carolina Lowcountry. The event is Sunday, January 11 from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Mall at Shelter Cove. It benefits the Volunteers in Medicine for providing medical services for low-income families. It will take place in the mall, past events have been rained out or it has been too warm. Admission is $10 per person, it includes all the soup you can eat, bread and beverages. In the past, they have raised $11,000.

As a bartender at Hudson's, years back, we would bring She Crab soup in as our entry. We set up at the Tanger Outlet Center 1 and actually ran out pretty quickly. We also had the opportunity to sample the other entries. It was a good day.

They are anticipating 20 local restaurants that will offer their creations of bouillon, bisques and other Lowcountry favorites. People will also be able to purchase a cookbook that celebrates the first 15 years of the Soup Challenge.

This might be the perfect way to kick off the NFL Playoffs. For more information, call 843-689-6621.

Hilton Head's 5th Annual Coastal Cajun & Blues Festival

This Saturday marks the 5th Annual Coastal Cajun & Blues Festival on Hilton Head Island. The event takes place on Saturday, October 18 from 11 AM to 5 PM at the Shelter Cove Park. The park is located mid-Island.

The sponsors have plenty of music lined up from start to finish, this year's headliner is the Sauce Boss, Bill Wharton. Wharton is unique in that while he is jamming on his guitar, he pauses to make gumbo on stage. I have only seen him once and that was about eight years ago at the Wild Wing Cafe off of Pope Avenue. It was fun to hear him pluck the strings and create his roue for his gumbo. As the night, went on he continued adding more ingredients until he was ready to serve.

The other great part of the event is the cuisine from the Louisiana Bayou; jambalaya, crawfish, etouffe and other great creations. My friend Kenny Ballard, owner of Kenny B's, will be sure be able to line folks up for his popular dishes, I like his PO Boys.'

This is one of the newer events on Hilton Head, it was previously scheduled in the Spring, but the weather never cooperated, so this year they moved it to October.

Hilton Head's 24th Annual Chili Cook Off Preview

When I lived on Hilton Head Island, one of my favorite events was the Chili Cook Off. I relish hot and spicy foods, so I always attended. It has been a few years since I sampled some of the Island's best chili offerings. Actually, in 1998 I helped a friend Kenny Ballard of Kenny B's serve his New Orleans style chili. I brought Dixie Beer to help compliment the Cajun Creation.

As an Islander, it was great crossing paths with people you had not seen in a long while and discuss how people were doing. It's great fund-raiser for the Kiwanis Club, one of Hilton Head's primary social events.

My friend Catalina would always bring me over to the San Miguel's section and try to make me sweat while tasting their chili. She got me only once, my buddy Marty was quick with a beer to put out the fire.

So over the past month I have been anticipating the event and I going enjoy it this year, so I hope I run into some people that I have not seen in awhile. The event this year is Saturday, October 11th. Doors open at Noon, there will be plenty of chili, music and adult beverages. The event will be held at Honey Horn. This event has set the tone for all the other events that we appreciate on Hilton Head. I am posting a link below if you would like additional information.

http://www.hiltonheadkiwanis.org/Chili.htm