OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — One of the region’s most popular events delivered another fantastic Friday night in Lake Tahoe. The annual Guitar Strings vs. Chicken Wings is a fundraiser for the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS), a non-profit organization that helps connect people of all ages with the natural wonders of the Tahoe region. The event once again filled Palisades Tahoe, drawing approximately 2,000 attendees who sampled chicken wings from the village restaurants and enjoyed live music from local bands in a friendly battle of the bands/wings competition. 

The Auld Dubliner finished in first place with its “Dubliner Double Dipped” wing, reclaiming the title from Plumpjack, who had won the previous two years. This is the Dubliner’s seventh title overall in the 12 years of the event.  

“Every restaurant put out a really great wing, and I enjoyed all of them, but we’re happy to grab that championship belt,” said Auld Dubliner owner, Randy Rogers. “It’s a lot of hard work from the staff, and it’s a challenge to deliver good wings consistently all night long, so it was great to see it all pay off with the win.”  

This year, Palisades created an actual championship belt for the wing winner. Winners’ names will be etched onto the belt going forward, in the tradition of the Stanley Cup.  

In the music competition, local band Tim High & The Mighty won for the second straight year. They played to a large crowd in front of the Aerial Tram and kept the party going while votes were counted. Attendees are given six voting tokens with which they can vote for their favorite band and wing. Of course, all of the good music and good food is just part of the story.  

“We’re quite proud of how popular the event has become, especially whenever I hear folks say that it’s their favorite local event, but we don’t do it just because it’s a great party,” said TINS Executive Director, Will Richardson. “All of the money raised helps fund our core programs like guided nature walks, wildflower and birding events, tons of school programs, and even a bit towards our wildlife research. TINS is celebrating our 15th anniversary this year, and the popularity of this event has helped a great deal.”  

Rogers has been a part of this event for many years and has seen it grow to one of the best in the region. “Will (Richardson) has done a fantastic job with this, and I love how it’s something that’s great for all ages. A lot of other events are geared towards adults, but I love seeing all of the families come out every year and enjoy a Friday night in the Village.” 

This year’s event was so popular that a few restaurants actually ran out of chicken wings later in the evening. The beautiful weather and growing buzz around the event led to a massive turnout, and Richardson is very appreciative of the community support.  

“We owe a very heartfelt thank you to all of the TINS program and event sponsors, as well as the Palisades Village Neighborhood Company – our co-creator and partner in this event since 2012,” said Richardson. “All the restaurants and bands that do so much work to make it happen, all of our volunteers, without whom we couldn’t pull it off, and of course everybody that comes out each year to enjoy the party and make the event what it is. This was our best year yet in terms of both competition and the turnout, and we’ll keep trying to improve the event each and every year.”  

Final Results 

Best Wings: 

1st – Auld Dubliner  

2nd – Tremigo 

3rd – Plumpjack 

Best Band: 

1st – Tim High and the Mighty (Plumpjack), 

2nd – Suika T (Tremigo) 

3rd – Vice Grip (Fireside) 

About the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science  

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is a member-supported nonprofit organization providing world-class education and research. TINS offers programs for all ages, from presentations to citizen science projects to guided nature outings. Scholarships and a diversity of free programming aim to make these activities as inclusive as possible. The organization conducts ongoing biological research in the Tahoe-Sierra region, contributing important data to help improve management decisions regarding wildlife. TINS is working to bring a world-class interpretive nature center and educational facility to the Tahoe area, with the ultimate goal of creating a community that cares for the natural world by fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the natural resources at Lake Tahoe and beyond. For more information visit tinsweb.org.