The 25th annual famed Malibu event will return Legacy Park to its original use for the end-of-summer Labor Day weekend.
By Ward Lauren / Special to The Malibu Times
It’s officially “Legacy Park,” but on Labor Day weekend in Malibu it will always be the “Chili Cook-Off site,” and preparations are just about complete for tomorrow’s opening of the Kiwanis Club’s 25th anniversary presentation of its annual Chili Cook-Off and carnival.
Festivities will begin Friday evening with the opening of the carnival and midway. Then it’s on to the chili competition, the main event of the club’s fundraising gala, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday. Activities at the site will continue on Monday to bring the holiday weekend to a close.
John Paola, Kiwanis chairman of the event, promised the usual array of fun and activities including food, games, prizes, live music, vendors, pony rides, arts and crafts and “a few surprises” for young and old alike.
While the number of entries in the chili competition will probably be about the same, the variety, and temperature, of the chili recipes is always new, Paola said.
“Since this is an international competition, cooks come from all over and you never know what the chili’s going to taste like, which is why this is always the main attraction for everybody.”
The coveted chili prizes are awarded for the best in four categories: red chili, chili Verde, salsa and “People’s Choice,” said Dana Karney, chili competition chair. In addition to prizes for the best chili, trophies are given for the best booth, most spirited presentation and Malibu’s favorite merchant at the event.
Miss Malibu Michelena “Mickey” Erickson, a Pepperdine student, will help preside over the competition. The Kiwanis work with the Miss Malibu Pageant organization in support of the nonprofit group’s charity, Project Nightlight, dedicated to protecting victims of child abuse, Paola said.
Each competitor in the three main categories is required to make at least one gallon of chili for the People’s Choice competition, she said. The group that collects the greatest number of food tickets then determines the winner, indicating popular demand, for its chili. Because the International Chili Society officially sanctions the event, strict rules apply to the preparation of all chili. The use of beans and pasta in red chili and chili Verde is strictly forbidden, while People’s Choice chili must contain either beans or pasta.
Among the first competitive cooks to sign up, Karney said, were Dave Britt of team Anheuser-Busch and David Katz and Nancy Lopez of the Malibu Film Festival for the red chili; Russell Harvey of Casa Escobar will compete with red chili and salsa; Rick Decker of team Vini Verde Vici, for red chili and chili Verde; Susie Decker, red chili and salsa; Joseph Swiderski with his Hemroid Heaven Chili and Margaret Swiderski, Chili by the Beach, red chili and chili Verde; and Greg Horton and Iabio Bandini of Valley Bike Night submit their red chili and salsa.
“These are just a few of the first sign-ups I received,” Karney said. “There will be around 40 by the time the competition starts.”
As an official ICS regional cook-off, winners in each category both Saturday and Sunday get to compete in the world championships in Omaha, Neb. later this year.
Sal Cirnigliaro, Kiwanis president, who is also in charge of the many food vendors and nonprofit organization booths that will be active during the weekend, said, “People should know it’s not just chili, however. We’re going to have a dozen different kinds of food available. Even if you don’t like chili-and I guess there are people who don’t-you can still come out and try all kinds of other things.”
As always, live music will fill the air during the activities from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Paul Galo, music chairman, listed the bands scheduled for Saturday as The Bu Notes, Kelly’s Lot and Melvin Eddy, an R&B group. On Sunday, Room to Move will play, along with two more groups yet to be signed up, he said.
The money collected by the Kiwanis Club in this and its other fundraising activities during the year goes to more than 100 charity organizations, primarily but not limited to Malibu and Southern California, said John Grams, assistant chairman of the cook-off.
“This year, for example, we’re going to be raising funds for the new Malibu film festival, Malibu Celebration of Film,” Grams said. “We’re going to work with them on the children’s part of it, where they help grade school and high school kids get into films. They’ll have an information booth at the cook-off and hand out information as their introduction to the community.
“We’re also going to make a contribution to the Sierra Service Project, part of the Habitat for Humanity. This includes a group of Malibu kids who have helped build houses for Native Americans and other residents of the Sierras. They’ve also gone other places, this summer to Honduras, and we helped pay for that trip because they’re Malibu kids and they’re doing a good thing.”
Friday evening hours are from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Monday the festivities continue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Admission to the site is $10 for adults; children 12 and under are admitted free. More information can be obtained by calling 805.404.0615.