The aroma of award winning chili will be held at Laishley Park in Punta Gord. That's when the 13th annual Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge and Beer Festival is coming to town.

15 chili teams will set up their chili cooking booths in an effort to persuade the judges and the general public that their chili is the best. The teams may consist of friends, family, service organizations, clubs, non-profits, businesses, or just about anyone who has the desire to make good, if not great chili.

In addition to making great chili, teams will be challenged to decorate their 15' x 15' booths in a Pirate Chili theme. The best decorated booth will win the Showmanship award and a first place prize of $500. Booths will be judged on five criteria – Theme, Action, Costume, Audience Appeal, and Booth Set-Up. Awards will be given to the top five booths.

Teams may decorate their booths however they choose using any type of decorations, lights, banners, flags, props, etc. The only requirement is everything must be inside the 15 x 15 booth area. Chili Teams may also dress the theme or wear costumes as part of the booths appearance.

Chili will be the focus of the day and it will be judged in two ways. A panel of judges will taste test samples from each of the teams. Judges will score chili samples on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best. There are five criteria for scoring– Aroma, Consistency, Color, Taste, and Texture. NOTE: Heat is not a grading factor! The Chili Challenge winners will receive $500, Bragging rights, and a trophy and prizes will be awarded through 5th place.

There will also be a $500 Award for the People's Choice of best Chili. Each attendee will receive a voting coupon when they enter through the main gate, Collect as many of those coupons from people visiting your booth as you can! The Team with the most coupons wins the coveted People's Choice Award and $500! People's Choice Coupons will be collected at 4pm with the winner announced at the Award Ceremony at 5pm on the main stage.

In addition to the Chili cooking, there will be a full slate of activities during the festival. Merchandise vendors will be on hand as well as other food vendors when you’re ready to take a break from the chili. Live music will be performed all day on the Main Stage.

What goes better with Chili than an ice cold beer? At the festival, thirsty attendees will have an opportunity to sample different beers from small breweries not always readily available in our area. The Beer Tasting Tent will feature over 50 different craft beers from Micro-Breweries around the country to satisfy your thirst. Specialty beers will be available by samples or by the bottle.

Gates Open at 11:00am

Join us for Great Food, Great Live Music & Great Beer!

What goes better with Chili than an ice cold beer?
What goes better with Chili than an ice cold beer? At the festival, thirsty attendees will have an opportunity to sample different beers from small breweries not always readily available in our area. The Beer Tasting Tent will feature over 50 different craft beers from Micro-Breweries around the country to satisfy your thirst. Specialty beers will be available by samples or by the bottle.

The 13th Annual Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge and Beer Festival at Laishley Park in Punta Gorda is sure to warm up a cool January day with great food, great live music, and great beer!

Gate Admission
$7.50 in Advance - $10 at the Gate
Kids under 12 - Free General Admission with paid Adult

VIP SEATING
$80 for Table of 2, $160 for Table of 4, $240 for Table of 6

NO COOLERS OR OUTSIDE FOOD OR BEVERAGE

Tickets required for Chili & Craft Beer Samples, All Food and Drinks
Ticket Value is $1 per Ticket

Schedule & Musical Acts

11:00 am - Gates Open
12:00 pm - Deb & the Dynamics
1:45 pm - Mike Imbasciani & his Bluez Rockers
3:30 pm - Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
5:30 pm - Chili Contest Awards Ceremony
6:00 pm - Event Ends

Date: January 27, 2024.

Venue:
Laishley Park
100 Nesbit Street
Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Ticket.

For more info https://puntagordachilifest.com/index.html.