This is the 38th year the Havelock Chili Festival has been providing fun and entertainment along with some world class chili to the local population.
The Festival began in 1981 when the then Commanding Officer of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, General Kuci, inquired whether an occasion might be established in which his Marines and their families could enjoy getting together at an event “out in town” among members of the Havelock, North Carolina community. And so the Festival began.
The Festival is held annually on the third weekend of October. This year, it is Friday, October 18, 2019 and Saturday, October 19, 2019. The Havelock Chil Festival is held in Walter B. Jones Park, 2 Governmental Avenue, Havelock, NC.
This year, we will be asking members of the public to help judge both the Friday Chicken Wing and Saturday Chili contests. Taste the spicy, flavorful foods prepared by the competing cooks. Tickets will be on-sale for $1, and may be used for each chili or wing you’d like to taste.
Visitors to the Festival will find a variety of food, beverages, crafts, inflatables for the kids, and more. Come to eat, judge, enjoy the entertainment, and shop the vendors where you can meet local business owners, artists, crafters, and organizations.
Friday entertainment: The United States Marine Corps Rock Band from MCAS Cherry Point performs. They always rock the house with crowd-favorite instrumental and vocal cover songs.
Saturday entertainment: At 1pm, Bryan Mayer and his band will take the stage. Bryan is a major success in country music but remembers his roots. He often supports our Chili Festival and other civic events.
While Service Dogs are always welcome, other animals are not permitted at the Havelock Chili Festival, nor are alcoholic beverages.
Proceeds from this event are distributed to area charities and non-profits.
Should there be any questions, contact Paula Cusson at 252.671.7970 or email havelockchili@outlook.com.
The official event website is chilifestival.org. Follow updates, or see photos from prior years, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HavelockChiliFestival.
Enter the Cooking Contests
We’re looking for additional cooks for both contests:
Friday: Chicken Wing Contest
Saturday: Chili Contest
The entry fee for Chili has changed, plus the criteria for People’s Choice prizes. Cooks can have both a great time and compete for prizes, too. If interested in competing, check out the cooks letter, rules, and applications on the Festival website.
This NC Festival is sanctioned by the International Chili Society. Winners become eligible to compete in the World Champion Chili Cook-Off.
Be A Vendor
Vendor spaces are still available and we’d like to encourage folks with “home” and other small businesses to take advantage of our low-cost entry fee to this popular event.
Also, we offer free 10′ x 10′ spaces to non-profit organizations that only wish to distribute information; fee if selling food. Visit chilifestival.org/interested-vendors to see if your group qualifies.
Last Year’s Winning Cooks (2018)
Friday Night Wings
Judges Choice (A tie!)
Joe’s Handcrafted Memories
Mallard Oil
People’s Choice
1st — Trish Baker
2nd — Wally Callabrese
3rd — Joe Cornwall
Red Chili
People’s Choice
Brices Creek Bible Church
1st — James Grady
2nd — Charles (Bill) Thomas
3rd — Johnny Thompson (Mulden Funeral Home)
4th — Enlisted Spouses Club
5th — Brices Creek Bible Church
Green Chili
Mitchell Martin (Craven Community College)
Source: Havelock Chili Festival Committee Chair
