VERSAILLES — Versailles welcomes you to the 72nd Annual Versailles Poultry Days to be celebrated June 9-11. Win free chicken for life with the “Golden Ticket.” This year’s theme is “Chilly Willy Wonka and the Chicken Factory’.”

Three golden tickets will be placed randomly into three chicken dinners (or coolers). One golden ticket will be released each day (June 9, 10 and 11). For a chance to win you must pick up chicken in the festival’s Walk Thru, Drive Thru or Bulk Pick Up lines. The winner will receive two chicken dinners per Poultry Days festival day, for life. Visit VersaillesPoultryDays.com for details.

Two semi tractor-trailer loads of chicken have been ordered for what might be the World’s Largest Chicken Barbecue. All roads lead to Poultry Days but some are the chicken line. The drive thru and walk thru chicken lines are located at 459 S. Center St., Versailles, and are for individual dinners only. Enter Versailles from the south on State Route 185 if you want to find the Drive Thru line. Parking is on nearby streets to visit the festival and use the Walk Thru Line. These lines open at 3:30 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Pick up for bulk coolers will be at the High School (280 Marker Road) and is best entered from the west on Marker Road. Individual dinners will not be served in the bulk pick up line. All “chicken” questions should be sent to [email protected]. New this year, the festival will be accepting credit cards in the chicken lines and Social Tent. They work hard to ensure chicken is available through supper each day but demand can be unpredictable. Come early to get the World Famous Chicken.

Jim and Kimberly Schulte have been selected as Honorary Grand Parade Marshals, to be held at 11 am on June 10. The Antique Car Display & Cruise will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, with a display on South Center Street starting at 10 a.m. Registration for the Antique Car Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of South Center and West Ward Streets.

Free admission, free kiddie tractor pull, free FFA Petting Zoo, free Chicken Eating Contest and free entertainment all weekend. Free Professional Women’s Ultimate Frisbee match on June 10. The festival will offer amusement rides, games, and much more. Check the website for the parade route and details on entering the Flower Show, Cake Show, Art Show, Egg Exhibit and Photography Show. The Sons of the Legion Cornhole Tournament, 5k and Chicken Eating Contest allow registration the day of the event. 5k Run/Walk & Fun Run registration will extend to the morning of the event which begins at 8 a.m. on June 10. Zac Richard Scholarship Fund Vendor Area will host a record-breaking number of vendors with the event benefiting the scholarship fund. Other activities include the Lions Club Chuckaluck, Garden Club Flower Show, K of C Bingo, the Miss Chick and Little Miss Poultry Days pageants and the very popular FFA Petting Zoo. New to the festival is the Chicketti Family Amusements will be providing rides and games. The festival will offer all day wristbands which will include Chicketti Rides and a Zip Line.

Social Tent entertainment includes Tricky Dick & The Cover Ups, Brother Believe Me, Eight Ball, Act 3 and The Hammer Jockeys. The Social Tent will offer beverages from The Winery at Versailles, MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch and the Moeller Brew Barn. Darke County’s own Mora and The Boys will perform for the festival time at the festival including students from Ansonia, Arcanum and Versailles.

Ultimate Frisbee will celebrate its 41st year in Versailles at Heritage Park. The weekend’s tournament will include 40 teams from throughout the U.S. The Ultimate competition will feature a match between the Columbus Pride and the Atlanta Soul of the Premier Ultimate League. The match will be held inside the track on festival grounds at 6:3o p.m. on Saturday, June 10.

Poultry Days thanks the Versailles Community, sponsors and volunteers for their continued support. Visit VersaillesPoultryDays.com for the festival schedule and parade maps. Get live updates by following Poultry Days on Facebook. Send questions to [email protected].