In just four years, the annual Buffalo National Wing Festival has become what the owner of a large out-of-town restaurant chain calls the national chicken wing trade show.

It definitely has the flavor. There are booths manned by regional and national restaurants serving samples of Buffalo's claim to culinary fame to thousands of hungry "conventioneers" while vying for the "best wings" title. There are competitive eaters wolfing down wings for prize money, people bobbing for wings in a sea of blue cheese, and beauty contests.

All that was missing was a wedding.

Leave it to founder Drew Cerza, who never misses a chance to promote his event, to correct that.

During Tuesday's preview of the fifth annual festival Sept. 2 and 3 in Dunn Tire Park, Cerza announced that an unidentified couple - veterans of wing fests past - will take their vows at 4 p.m. opening day.

People who lined up in Niagara Square to whet their appetite heard that more than 25 restaurants will serve wings prepared in dozens of styles, pushing consumption since the festival began to well over one million.

Contests will include a 5K run, amateur wing eating, most creative wing sauce, Miss Buffalo Wing, the Blue Cheese Bowl wing-bobbing competition and the Buffalo Buffet Bowl, in which contestants try to eat the most roast beef, hot dogs, chicken fingers and pierogies.

Music will be performed Saturday by Hit & Run and Sunday by Pirate Dreams. Festival hours will be noon to 9 p.m. Sept. 2 and noon to 7 the following day. Admission will be $5, with children 8 and under free.