If you love chicken wings, or even if you merely like chicken wings, you must attend the 2015 UCP Wing Ding on Thursday, August 20, 6:00 p.m. at Queeny Park. The event is in the Greensfelder building on the Weidman Road side of the park in west St. Louis county. (And, yes, the Cardinals are off that night.)

Tickets are 25 dollars. That gives you the opportunity to sample wings from all 22 (at last count) participating restaurants plus 2 drink tickets. A VIP ticket is priced at 45 dollars. VIPs get unlimited drinks, reserved seating and early admission (5:30 p.m.)

Tickets at the door are 30 and (VIP) 50 dollars. Order online by Monday, August 17, to get the advance ticket price.

Click HERE to buy your tickets and to check out the full list of participating restaurants.

Along with wing sampling, there’s also a competition! Last year St. Louis Wing Company dominated the awards, so this year everybody else will be upping their game a bit.

Celebrity judges include radio folks Guy Phillips, Trish Gazall, Patrico, Rizzuto, Staci Static, Joe Roderick and Howard Balzer. Also: food journalists George Mahe, Joe Bonwich and Michael Renner. Gabe Hartwig, Joe Holleman and Dan Neman represent the Post-Dispatch. Social media maven Chris Reimer, STL Winegirl Angie Ortmann, Grillin’ Fool Greg Thomas, BBQ “Godfather” Terry Black, FOX-2/KPLR newsguy Patrick Clark and myself are also among the judging contingent.

I have participated the last 3 years and can assure you that this is fun event. You will get to taste a wide variety of delicious chicken wing serving styles and can enjoy the company of several hundred fun folks. Plus—there will be beer!

Click HERE to visit the Wing Ding’s Facebook page.

*(Opening lyric to Donald Fagen’s song New Frontier from his 1982 album The Nightfly.)