Celebrate National Fried Chicken Day in Atlanta with free chicken and recipes

Today, July 6, marks National Fried Chicken Day, and while it hasn't been deemed a state holiday like we think it should be, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate.

Deals:

• Southern Art and Bourbon Bar is celebrating all week. Guests who dine-in today during either lunch or dinner will get a complimentary basket of chef Art Smith's signature buttermilk fried chicken.

Also beginning today and running through Sunday, July 10, guests can make their own fried chicken by choosing from a variety of batter flavors including chipotle and lemon pepper, a sauce and two sides. On Thursday, July 7, chef de cuisine Tonya Morris will teach a fried chicken cooking class from 11 a.m. to noon for $35, and from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, fried chicken and waffle corn dogs and family style fried chicken will be on the menu.

Southern Art, 3315 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-946-9070, southernart.com/

• Participating Church's Fried Chicken is offering three legs, three thighs, one wing and one breast for $6.99 today only.

Various locations, www.churchs.com/

Where to eat

• What a lovely coincidence -- Watershed's Fried Chicken Wednesday just happens to coincide with Fried Chicken Day. Enjoy the restaurant's beloved fried bird for lunch or dinner today.

Watershed, 1820 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-809-3561, watershedrestaurant.com/

• We recently gave a shout out to One Eared Stag's Nashville hot chicken sandwich as one of our favorites -- you can find it on the menu at dinner tonight.

One Eared Stag, 1029 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta. 404-525-4479, oneearedstagatl.com

• We also loved on the fried chicken sandwich at GA Chapter Room in Sandy Springs , which you can munch on for dinner tonight.

GA Chapter Room, 5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 404-941-1503, www.gachapterroom.com.

• We're a little obsessed with the fried chicken from Kevin Gillespie's Decatur restaurant Revival -- check out our review here, and order it for lunch or dinner today.

Revival, 129 Church St., Decatur. 470-225-6770, revivaldecatur.com .

• We asked readers to vote on their favorite fried chicken in Atlanta -- and they said loud and clear that their favorite is Gus's Fried Chicken. There's only one Atlanta location right now, but at least one more will open in metro Atlanta by the end of the year . Find out what to order at Gus's here.

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, 231 W. Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-996-2837, gusfriedchicken.com/atlanta-georgia-location/