Eating Too Many Wings at Tussey Mountain WingFest

One of the food events I keep thinking about from my travels is the Tussey Mountain WingFest. I attended the Tussey Mountain WingFest in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, one Thursday in July 2025. I was determined to try all the vendors and as many wings as possible. I’m a little late telling everyone about it, as it’s now July 2026 and I’m finally posting about it. Tussey Mountain is still doing WingFest Thursdays during the summer, so I thought I would share my experience.

WingFest is a weekly event on Thursdays every summer, weather permitting, with multiple chicken wing vendors and live music. Each week requires an admission ticket to attend. After entry, you buy strips of one-dollar tickets to use to buy wings and drinks. The wings are one dollar each. Included in the admission ticket is live music performed by two bands, including many local Happy Valley favorites, and the ability to vote for your favorite wings of the evening. At the end of the summer, on the last week of WingFest, the winning wing vendors return to compete in the finals. You can learn more about Tussey Mountain WingFest on the Tussey Mountain Website.

During my visit, I was determined to try each flavor of chicken wing from each of the 6 vendors. That was going to mean at least 19 wings this evening. I ended up with a few duplicates after being gifted some wings. The chicken wing vendors are all local restaurants and food service providers competing to have the best chicken wing in the area. Most of the vendors are bringing their best-selling sauces. Others might make a special sauce for the WingFest. All the vendors are set up at the bottom of the ski slope on a field at Tussey Mountain next to the lodge. I decided to work left to right, getting one of each wing at each vendor, and then filming my eating as I proceeded.

I tackled my first 3 vendors before taking a break. Alloy Kitchen, Bill Pickle’s Tap Room, and Mount Nittany Medical were the first 3 vendors, and I got 3 wings at each. I was starting off strong on my chicken wing journey. Alloy Kitchen brought Prickly Pear Buffalo, Thai Peanut, and sweet and spicy. I got to talk with the team at Alloy Kitchen and learned how they made the prickly pear sauce by making a puree from the fruit and straining it. Bill Pickle’s Tap Room brought Peanut Butter Hot, Bacon Apple Bourbon, and Pineapple Habanero. I was very impressed by their wings, considering I knew it as a place I used to get pitchers of beer on a night out in State College. Mount Nittany Medical brought BBQ Ranch Dry Rub, Honey Chipotle and Korean BBQ. I was also surprised to see the hospital food service there, but their wings were some of my favorites of the evening.

I took a break halfway through for a beer. I had a couple of different options for beer. They have some beers on tap, which can be purchased with the tickets. They also have a weekly guest brewery serving several of their own beers. This week was Helltown Brewing. I opted for Helltown Brewing, since it was a beer I was more familiar with, as they are from near Pittsburgh.

I also learned during my eating break that many WingFest regulars bring trays and containers to load up to bring back to their chairs. They will go to many vendors at one time. There are 2 reasons for this. The first reason being that the lines can get pretty long as more people show up, so they will get all the wings in one trip. The second reason is that seating is limited. People who brought their own chairs and wanted to watch the bands performing. Going to get wings takes up a lot of time.

I took on my second 3 vendors after taking a break. Wings Over Happy Valley, Muddy Run Tavern and Primanti Bros were the second 3 vendors, and I got so many wings this time. Wings Over Happy Valley brought Honey Mustard, Cajun Voodoo and Honey BBQ. Wings Over is one of my favorite wing places and both Honey Mustard and Honey BBQ are regular go tos. I ended up with 6 wings from Wings Over because I met two guys in line who decided to gift me some wings. I didn’t mind some extras from Wings Over. Muddy Run Tavern brought Piggyback, Hot Garlic, and Southern Sweet Heat. These were all pretty unique flavors. Primanti Bros brought 4 flavors, making me have to get an extra wing even though I was already at 18. They brought Garlic Parm, Korean BBQ, Honey Buffalo and Nashville Hot.

With a stomach full of wings, I decided it was time to watch the bands that evening who were providing the entertainment. I grabbed another beer and headed over towards the stage. I was lucky this evening as there were two Happy Valley favorites, Coal Ally and My Hero Zero, performing. WingFest attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to hang out and watch the bands. The field was pretty crowded too by the time My Hero Zero took the stage. Tussey Mountain also had some activities for kids and they were running the chair lift for scenic rides up the mountain. As the sun began to set on Tussey Mountain WingFest, the bands were in full swing and we were all vibing to the music. The sunset capped off a fantastic evening. If I were living in Happy Valley, I would be a regular attendee at Tussey Mountain WingFest.

Tussey Mountain is in Happy Valley in Pennsylvania at 301 Bear Meadows Rd, Boalsburg, PA 16827. WingFest takes place on Thursdays from June to August.