National Chicken Boy Day
September 1
About National Chicken Boy Day
National Chicken Boy Day is observed every year on 1 September, celebrating one of Los Angeles’s most beloved and eccentric landmarks: Chicken Boy, a 22-foot-tall fiberglass statue of a figure with a human body and a chicken’s head, holding a bucket of fried chicken. The day honours this piece of Americana roadside art and the woman who saved it, artist and art director Amy Inouye, whose decades-long dedication turned a discarded restaurant mascot into a recognised cultural icon of the city.
How to Celebrate National Chicken Boy Day
National Chicken Boy Day is wonderfully open to interpretation. Here are eight ways to join the celebration on 1 September 2026:
- Visit Chicken Boy in Highland Park, Los Angeles – The statue stands at 5558 North Figueroa Street in the Highland Park neighbourhood, atop the Future Studio gallery run by Amy Inouye. It is an official stop on Historic Route 66 and one of the most photographed pieces of roadside art in California. A visit is well worth the trip if you are in the Los Angeles area.
- Photograph a roadside attraction near you – If you cannot make it to Los Angeles, celebrate the spirit of Chicken Boy by visiting and photographing a quirky roadside attraction in your own area. Muffler men, oversized animals, folk art sculptures, and eccentric signage exist in towns across the United States. Road trip enthusiasts and roadside art lovers have been documenting these landmarks for decades.
- Learn about the history of muffler men – Chicken Boy belongs to a family of large fiberglass figures known as “muffler men,” manufactured by International Fiberglass of Venice, California, in the 1960s and 1970s. These figures were commissioned by roadside businesses across the country and have become beloved cultural artefacts. Learning about them is a fascinating window into mid-century American commercial art.
- Support Future Studio and Amy Inouye’s work – Amy Inouye’s Future Studio gallery at the base of Chicken Boy is an active art space in Highland Park. Supporting independent galleries that champion pop culture and community art is one of the most meaningful ways to mark the day.
- Watch a documentary or read about Route 66 roadside art – Books and documentaries about Route 66 capture the spirit that Chicken Boy represents. The tradition of outsized, eccentric roadside figures is a uniquely American art form with a rich history worth exploring.
- Eat fried chicken in Chicken Boy’s honour – The statue holds a bucket of fried chicken, after all. Order from a local fried chicken restaurant, recreate your favourite recipe at home, or try a new preparation you have never attempted before. A little culinary tribute is always welcome on a fun, food-adjacent awareness day.
- Create your own tribute art – Draw, paint, or photograph your own version of Chicken Boy. The statue has inspired artists, illustrators, and craftspeople for years. Amy Inouye has produced Chicken Boy merchandise, greeting cards, and artwork. Joining that creative tradition is very much in the spirit of the day.
- Share the story on social media – Many people have never heard of Chicken Boy. Use National Chicken Boy Day to introduce the statue, its history, and Amy Inouye’s story to a new audience using #NationalChickenBoyDay and #NationalChickenBoyDay2026.
What is National Chicken Boy Day?
National Chicken Boy Day is an annual observance celebrated on 1 September in honour of Chicken Boy, the iconic 22-foot fiberglass statue that stands atop Future Studio gallery at 5558 North Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, California, along the route of Historic Route 66. The statue depicts a figure with a human body and a chicken’s head, based on the “muffler man” template widely used by roadside businesses in the 1960s and 1970s. The day celebrates Chicken Boy as a piece of Americana, a monument to the eccentricity and creativity of American roadside culture, and a tribute to the community effort that saved it from permanent obscurity. Those who enjoy this sort of celebration of quirky food culture might also appreciate National Burnt Ends Day, also observed on 1 September, which celebrates another iconic American food tradition.
When is National Chicken Boy Day?
National Chicken Boy Day falls on Tuesday, 1 September 2026. It is a fixed annual observance held every 1 September, marking the ceremonial birthday of the Chicken Boy statue.
The History of Chicken Boy and National Chicken Boy Day
Chicken Boy’s origins date to the late 1960s, when a fiberglass figure was commissioned by the owners of a fried chicken restaurant called Chicken Boy, located on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. The figure was manufactured by International Fiberglass, a Venice, California-based company that produced the large roadside statues popularly known as muffler men throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The original figure’s head was customised to resemble a chicken, and its hands were posed to hold a bucket of fried chicken. Designed to attract attention from passing motorists, the statue and its restaurant became a fixture of the downtown LA streetscape from 1969 until the restaurant’s closure in 1984, when the original owner passed away.
After the restaurant closed, the statue faced an uncertain future. Art director and artist Amy Inouye acquired it rather than see it discarded, and Chicken Boy went into storage while Inouye searched for a permanent home. The search took nearly two decades. During that time, Chicken Boy developed a cult following among Los Angeles residents, roadside art enthusiasts, and fans of Americana. Inouye’s determination to find a worthy home for the statue became something of a local legend in itself.
In 2007, Inouye finally installed Chicken Boy atop her Future Studio gallery at 5558 North Figueroa Street in the Highland Park neighbourhood, where it has stood ever since. The statue has been designated an official stop on Historic Route 66 and was honoured with the 2010 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. National Chicken Boy Day was established on 1 September as a formal occasion to celebrate the statue and the community spirit that kept it alive. Today it is embraced by fans of quirky Americana, Los Angeles history, and roadside art culture across the United States.
Fun Facts About Chicken Boy
- Chicken Boy stands 22 feet tall and is one of the largest surviving muffler man figures in California.
- The statue was manufactured by International Fiberglass of Venice, California, the same company responsible for hundreds of roadside figures installed across the United States during the 1960s and 1970s.
- Chicken Boy spent nearly two decades in storage after the restaurant closed in 1984 before Amy Inouye installed it at its current Highland Park location in 2007.
- In 2010, Chicken Boy received the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, cementing its status as a recognised piece of California cultural heritage.
- Chicken Boy is an official stop on Historic Route 66 in Los Angeles, making it part of one of America’s most celebrated and storied road trip routes.
- Amy Inouye has produced a wide range of Chicken Boy merchandise, from greeting cards and art prints to clothing and magnets, extending the statue’s cultural reach well beyond Highland Park.
Why National Chicken Boy Day Matters
National Chicken Boy Day is a celebration of the quirky, the handmade, and the fiercely local. Chicken Boy represents a piece of mid-century American commercial art that could easily have been lost, and its survival is a testament to individual passion and community appreciation for eccentric, non-corporate culture. In a landscape increasingly shaped by standardised branding and chain businesses, a 22-foot statue of a chicken-headed figure holding a bucket of fried chicken is a welcome reminder that American culture has always had room for the wonderfully strange.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Chicken Boy Day?
National Chicken Boy Day is an annual observance on 1 September celebrating Chicken Boy, a 22-foot fiberglass statue of a boy with a chicken head located on Historic Route 66 in the Highland Park district of Los Angeles. The day celebrates the statue, its history, and the American roadside art tradition it represents.
When is National Chicken Boy Day in 2026?
National Chicken Boy Day falls on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
Where is Chicken Boy located?
Chicken Boy stands at 5558 North Figueroa Street in the Highland Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, atop the Future Studio gallery run by Amy Inouye. It is visible from the street and is an official stop on Historic Route 66.
Spread the Word
Share the story of Chicken Boy on social media and introduce this wonderful piece of Americana to a new audience. Use the hashtags #NationalChickenBoyDay and #NationalChickenBoyDay2026 and tag Amy Inouye’s Future Studio if you visit in person. The more people who know about Chicken Boy, the better the chances of preserving this kind of eccentric, irreplaceable roadside culture.
Related Awareness Days
- National Chicken Month – Also observed throughout September, National Chicken Month celebrates chicken in all its forms, from fast food icons to home cooking traditions, making it a natural companion to National Chicken Boy Day.
- National Burnt Ends Day – Also on 1 September, National Burnt Ends Day celebrates another iconic piece of American food culture: the slow-smoked brisket burnt ends of Kansas City BBQ.
- National BBQ Day – Observed on 16 May each year, National BBQ Day celebrates American barbecue and outdoor cooking culture, sharing some thematic DNA with Chicken Boy’s fried chicken heritage.
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