Each year, in early March, the Fitzgerald Jaycees put on a huge festival in honor of the town’s unofficial mascot, the wild chicken. Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus), also known as the Burmese Wild Chicken, are thought to be the progenitor of all domestic chicken breeds today.  In the late 1960s, the Department of Natural Resource released several populations around the state to be hunted as game birds, but of those populations, only the Fitzgerald population thrived and survived in the wild in any numbers.

Barry Peavey and Ricky Haggard hatched the idea for the Wild Chicken Festival in 2000, when an alternative to the Rattlesnake Roundup, which had been a popular Fitzgerald event for over 20 years, was being sought. Barry notes that it took a few years, but it really caught in 2007. There’s a Friday night street dance and a 5K race, as well. An estimated crowd of 10,000-15,000 was in attendance this year.

Laura Wiggins Norris, Jennifer Glenn, and Gina Wiggins (l-r above) are all involved in the Artisan Market, a part of the festival focused on showcasing local art, pottery, and agricultural products.