

Gordonsville, Virginia celebrates its rich fried chicken history with a festival every year.

During the cook-off, locals as well as visitors from all over, armed with secret seasonings and their own original recipes, will compete to see which fried chicken reigns supreme. 7 this year, will include a fried chicken cook-off as well as a pie contest, a wine garden and an array of arts and crafts tables with homemade goods up for grabs. The town, which has garnered such nicknames as the "chicken-leg center of the universe," celebrates this unique part of its history by hosting Gordonsville's Famous Fried Chicken Festival every year. It has been famous for its fried chicken since residents began serving it to train passengers traveling through town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Speaking of Gordonsville, the small town is another reason Orange County should be a must-visit for any foodie. While the trail ended in May, some of the eateries continue to serve Lewis’s dishes, like The Vintage Restaurant near Orange, where her sticky ribs are featured on the lunch menu, and The Barbeque Exchange in Gordonsville, which still serves the chef's Brunswick stew. The trail, which aimed to celebrate several of the chef's signature dishes, gave diners the chance to try some of Lewis’s most popular recipes while dining at restaurants throughout the county. Residents would serve it to train passengers in the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Gordonsville, Virginia has been known for its fried chicken for centuries. While Lewis, who was even referred to as “the South’s answer to Julia Childs," passed away in 2006, her recipes live on at some restaurants in Orange County through the Edna Lewis Menu Trail. Chef Edna Lewis grew up in Orange County's Freetown before going on to have a successful career at New York City restaurants and writing four popular cookbooks, including "The Taste of Country Cooking," filled with dishes inspired by life in the South.
