CALDWELL, Idaho — Indian Creek Plaza and the Farm to Fork Farmer's Market celebrated what is arguably Canyon County's most well-known road with live music, chicken cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, and chicken dinners.
The celebration comes less than a week after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) asked the City of Caldwell to change the name of Chicken Dinner Road because "words matter and have the power to change lives."
Tuesday night's chicken-themed event in downtown Caldwell included a wine tasting of Huston Vineyards' Chicken Dinner red and white wines. A chicken cooking demonstration showed visitors how to cook locally raised chickens with local marinades and wines.
"It's our normal summer concert series, Tuesdays on the Creek," said Destination Caldwell CEO Keri Smith-Sigman. "It includes our Farm to Fork Market. This was pre-scheduled, and so it was kind of ironic and then we just kind of built on it, because the community has really rallied around supporting Chicken Dinner Road and the heritage behind it."
When Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas heard PETA' s request, he said he "thought it was a joke," and pointed out that Chicken Dinner Road isn't even the City of Caldwell's jurisdiction.
He reiterated that during an interview Tuesday morning on Fox News' "Fox and Friends."
"So the big question is, mayor, regarding the people of your area, how many of them think that you should change it from Chicken Dinner Road?" asked host Steve Ducey.
"Zero," Nancolas responded. "It's amazing what social media does these days.
"The amazing thing about this is, in 22 years as mayor, lots of issues have come to this city," he added. "Not one has been like this. I mean we are getting letters, emails, text messages, and all kinds of suggestions for new names, such as Drumstick Drive and Mashed Potatoes and Chicken Dinner Boulevard."
SECOND HELPINGS OF CHICKEN DINNER (ROAD):