The big show, the event that you've been waiting for since the season began, is right around the corner.

Oh, sure, the Super Bowl is this Sunday, but we're talking about an all-out chicken wing bonanza.According to the National Chicken Council, the 2017 Super Bowl weekend will see Americans tearing through 1.33 billion pounds of flats and drumsticks - a two percent increase from last year's figure."If 1.33 billion wings were laid end to end, they would stretch from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia almost 80 times," the NCC website says in a wing report.Around this time every year, wing shortage stories tend to show up everywhere, but there's no need to worry - U.S. News and World Report debunked the urban legend in 2013. Interestingly enough, though, the once cheap wing has escalated in price to become the most expensive part of the bird, thanks in part to the massive popularity during football season.The famous buffalo chicken wing was allegedly concocted at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in 1964.Some say that owner Frank Bellissimo had received an order of chicken wings instead of the necks that he used in spaghetti sauce, so he asked his wife Teressa to make up an appetizer to avoid wasting anything.Bellissimo's son Dominic claims that the wings came about on a late Friday night, at a time when it was traditional for the usually Catholic patrons to stick to fish and vegetables.Dominic said that near the stroke of midnight, he requested that his mother make up a little free dish to thank their regulars.No matter where they've come from, chicken wings have become synonymous with sports. Not only are they a flavorful finger food, but they pair perfectly with a frosty brew.The council reports that about 75 percent of wing sales are through restaurants, bars, and other eateries, with 25 percent purchased at grocery stores. So if you opt for the ready-made option, the question remains - where do you get your Sunday stash around here?Try Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Department, which will be offering a dozen regular or boneless wings doused in mild, hot, hot and honey, barbecue, and five-alarm ultra sauces for $10."This is probably the fifth or sixth year we've been doing this," fire Chief Michael Spairana said. "We generally go through somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 pounds of wings."Proceeds from the sales will go toward paying the department's normal monthly bills.If you would like to call in for an order, you can do so starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and noon on Sunday."You can still call in until Sunday, it will run until about 6 p.m., but you want to call it in by 5 p.m. for sure," Spairana said.If you're not a wing fanatic, other order options include chicken fingers, French fries, and pierogies.And as for the chief's personal preference in Super Bowl poultry?"I still like the regular bone-in wing," he said. "And I'm a hot guy."Contact the Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Department at 610-852-2722.You can also check out Lansford's American Fire Co. #1, which will be frying up about 400 dozen wings with a selection of eight tasty sauces - hot, mild, barbecue, honey mustard, ranch, garlic Parmesan, "boom-boom" sriracha, and Carolina barbecue.And if you have a particular preference for your level of burn, they've got you covered."We make different degrees of hot, which we have a unique scale from 'brush fire' to 'fully involved,'" Greco said.The prep work will begin on Saturday, when those thousands of wings will be breaded in seasoned flour. Frying begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, with prearranged pickup times throughout the day.Even with such a hefty output, you don't have to be worried about freshness."We toss the wings in sauce as people come in to pick them up, so they aren't soggy," fire Chief Joe Greco said.While your best bet was to call ahead for a preorder, Greco said that they may have some extras for game day, but to call the station at 570-645-7171 to check before you head down.In case you have a hungry team at home, Sapore Ristorante and Sports Bar in Lehighton can also handle more sizable orders. Their Super Specials include 50 wings for $28.95, and 100 for $56.95, take out only. There are over 30 sauces available, including teriyaki, honey barbecue, and garlic Parmesan, but owner Wilson Gonzalez said that the mild variety is usually the most popular. Call 610-377-2666 to order.Pizza Como USA will also be offering 24 wings for $12.99, 50 for $26.99, 75 for $39.99, and 100 for $51.99, available in seven flavors."I'd have to say the 24 and the 50 are definitely the best selling sizes," owner Torey Caruso said. "You see people order the 75 and the 100 here and there, which are good for a pretty big party."They'll be delivering all day, even during the Super Bowl, so there's no need to worry about missing even a minute of the game. Call 570-386-5965 for a pick up or delivery.