The chili competition will take place on Saturday and Sunday. All other festivities will take place from Friday to Monday.
By Vive DeCou / Special to The Malibu Times
Organizers of the Malibu Chili Cook-Off say this year’s festivities, which begin on Friday and continue through Monday, will have new rides, more merchants and feature a broad spectrum of entertainment. And, of course, there will be lots of chili.
The Chili Cook-Off is put on every year by the Kiwanis Club of Malibu and raises money for the organization, which has donated much to the community. This is the 24th year of the event, which takes place at the property that bears its name on Pacific Coast Highway between Webb Way and Cross Creek Road.
More than 40 chili cooks will compete in this year’s competition, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The competition will include prizes in several categories, including best local entry, the people’s choice, and best red and green chili. The winners are automatically eligible through this International Chili Society-sanctioned event to enter into the world finals, which take place in October. Event organizer Marissa Coughlan warned that chili lovers should arrive early, as the competition does not allow for mass quantities to be made and cooks often run out of food. Among this year’s participants in the competition are Casa Escobar, Team Bud from Anheuser-Busch and many entries from Pepperdine University’s fraternities and sororities.
Chili may be the main event, but many other foods will be sold. Booths will be selling many things, including gourmet coffee, hamburgers and vegetarian foods. There will also be handmade goods for sale from more than 30 artists and vendors. And there will be lots of musical entertainment, including local musician Melvin Eddy and his Blues Band. There will also be several rides and games for the kids, including five new inflatable moonwalks. This year’s grand prize for the traditional raffle will be a black Hummer H3.
The Kiwanis Club gives booths to community organizations like the Boy Scouts, Little League and church groups, and lets them generate their own money. The money festival goers spend goes back to the community in what Coughlan called a “very community inclusive event.”
The carnival and midway will take place on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Chili Cook-Off will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $10 and children under 12 can come for free. For more information, call 805.404.0615.