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Issue date: 4/12/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Provided by YWCA of the Mohawk Valley Riggie Fest

Restaurants throughout the Mohawk Valley have been perfecting their chicken riggie recipes for weeks, and on Saturday, April 21 the public will decide who makes the very best chicken riggies. Area restaurants will serve up their piping hot pasta to the community and all proceeds will benefit the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley, whose mission is "eliminating racism and empowering women."

This event will be at the Utica Memorial Auditorium from noon until 3 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $5.

Riggiefest will feature an assortment of local restaurants each vying for a variety of titles including winner of the "Riggie Cup" for their chicken riggie recipe. Chicken riggies are a way of preparing rigatoni in a creamy marinara sauce with chicken and spices and are considered a staple dish of the Mohawk Valley.

With their eyes on the prize, restaurants from all over Utica and the Mohawk Valley are sure to serve up their best riggies. For the first time this year, cash prizes will be awarded to the top three contenders. Along with the competition, the event will include a wine tasting, live entertainment and a children's area.

This year, not only restaurants will be showcasing their recipes; members of the media will compete on Friday, April 20 at Hotel Utica, showing off their culinary expertise. Competitors will come from the "Utica Observer-Dispatch," WKTV News Channel 2 and Clear Channel Radio. Local officials and community leaders will judge the riggies to determine which member of the local media whipped-up the best batch of chicken riggies.

"Utica's Riggiefest" was the brainchild of David Gibson, a financial advisor with Smith Barney, who moved to the Mohawk Valley eight years ago. "I believe that this area has a lot to offer and is clearly a jewel in the rough," he said. "Upstate New York first brought the world 'buffalo wings,' and now Utica, New York will bring the world 'chicken riggies.' I wanted the YWCA to benefit from this event because they make an incredible commitment to grassroots programs that help protect, mend, and restore the lives of battered women; assist our community in "unlearning racism" and design programs that inspire young girls and women to be 'strong, smart, and bold'."

During the first year of "Utica's Riggiefest," nearly 2,000 riggie lovers came to the festival, eating more than 18,000 four-ounce cups of riggies and raising more than $12,000 for the YWCA. In 2006 nearly double the amount of riggie lovers came to help raise more than $21,000 for the YWCA.

YWCA executive director Denise Cavanaugh is very excited about the 2007 event. "The idea of a 'Utica's Riggiefest' is great and very unique and we are so excited to have so many wonderful restaurants and sponsors on board for the event."

The community has shown a great deal of support for this year's event. Staffworks Inc. is the major sponsor of Riggiefest.

For more information on "Utica's Riggiefest" please go to www.riggiefest.net or contact Shelly Northrup at the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley at (315) 732-2159 ext. 238 or shellyr@ywcamv.org.

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