‘This is their Super Bowl’: Beach ‘n Chili Fest returns to Myrtle Beach this weekend
Admission to Beach ‘n Chili Fest is free
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - You can get a taste of the best chili in the country at this year’s Beach ‘n Chili Fest this weekend.
Nearly 400 teams from across the country will face off against one another in the 55th Annual Chili Championship, competing for a trophy and prize money.
You can get into the event for free all weekend, but if you want to leave with a full stomach, you can purchase tasting tickets and sample chili from any team you pick.
The Beach ‘n Chili Fest will feature three full days of entertainment, including antique car shows, a family-free kids zone, live stage entertainment with music by local bands, demonstrations, and hundreds of flavors and recipes for chili.
Entertainment also includes celebrity guests Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin on The Office, and professional golfer Charlie Rymer. Baumgartner will give a cooking demo and hold a book signing for his “Seriously Good Chili Cookbook.”
Mike McCloud, President of the International Chili Society, said the chili cookoff is always a great way for chili lovers to come together while giving back to the community.
“We actually put this tournament on and this championship on for the chili head industry, just to keep it alive. It’s really more about charity. It’s more about fun for the industry. These teams have been cooking all year long to get to this moment. This is their Super Bowl,” said McCloud.
Dianne Lewis, the 2021 Homestyle Chili Champion, has been cooking chili for decades and won first place and $10,000 last year.
“It’s all about having fun and getting to meet people. Everybody is just so friendly and welcoming You know they will taste some of the best chili in the whole wide world,” said Lewis.
She said it’s anyone’s game going against the best of the best.
There are five different categories and teams from more than 30 states who all took home prizes in their hometowns.
The biggest prize is the granddaddy of chili for the Traditional Red category where the winner will take home $25,000.
The money earned over the weekend will go towards local schools and charities in the Grand Strand.
The Beach N’ Chili Fest kicks off Friday at 11 a.m. and goes through Sunday.
Click here for more information.
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