31st Chili Night ready to roll on Saturday

Sep. 28—Beckley's 31st annual Chili Night will spread across the streets of downtown Beckley on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., featuring the fall favorite concoctions of 34 vendors plus 30 non-chili vendors.

A $5 admission includes five sample tickets and a voting coin. Strips of tickets (five samples per strip) will be available for purchase this year based on the supply of chili planned at the chili booths.

Additional booths will offer drinks and other food such as funnel cakes, roasted corn, barbecue, baked goods and more, along with pop-up shops and informational booths. Additionally, several downtown businesses will be open during the event.

Advance ticket sales are available now at the Beckley Exhibition Mine or Youth Museum — cash or credit card — through Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Only cash sales will be accepted at ticket booths during the event.

Even with advance tickets, attendees are encouraged to arrive by 7 p.m. on Saturday as the limited chili supplies tend to go fast. During the event, ticket booths will be located on Neville Street near Jim Word Memorial Park and United Bank on Main Street, selling tickets from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. while supplies last.

Also, a limited supply of Chili Night shirts will be sold at the event headquarters at 125 Main St.

Most of the chili vendors will be set up along Neville and Main streets, while other vendors will be in the Jim Word Memorial Park parking lot and along parts of Heber, Main and Fayette streets. The streets will be blocked at 2:30 p.m. for set-up to begin.

Free visitor parking will be available at the Beckley Intermodal Gateway, and metered parking spots are free on weekends.

In addition to regular chili, some of the participants are preparing spicy and specialty chili recipes (such as vegetarian, barbecue, coffee, and chicken chili).

Panels of celebrity judges will select their favorite chili in various categories including restaurants, caterers and food trucks, non-restaurant businesses, organizations, individuals and the most unique specialty chili and best-tasting spicy chili, and a hometown favorite.

Awards are also presented to the most attractive booth and the most exciting booth. The public can vote for the People's Choice with voting coins distributed with admission.

In addition to the chili, there will be a variety of musical entertainment at several stages.

Throughout the event, Myers Amusement will be operating a mini carnival in the Jim Word Memorial Park parking lot.

From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., The New Gospel Singaleers will be performing gospel at the Word Park gazebo followed by country and rock music presented with a West Virginia attitude by The Danley Band from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

At the WVU Tech plaza, the DJs with DNS Entertainment will be mixing it up from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

From 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., on the Main Street stage, an urban rock band, Bicycle, will be playing songs from the '70s to current charts, followed from 7 to 8 p.m. by Pink Casino, which plays pop rock and alternative music.

Shoemaker Square will be the place to hear rock music from the '80s by Quiet Enough from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., followed by The Switch, a young, high-energy rock band, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

At The Raleigh Playhouse & Theatre on Neville Street, the HGTA Theatre Group singers with be performing Motown tunes.

At the "Cardinal Rising" sculpture on the corner of Neville and Heber streets, metal rock band Fool the Crow will be performing from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The awards ceremony will follow at 8 p.m. in Jim Word Memorial Park.

Event organizers request that attendees do not bring pets, skateboards, or coolers to the event.

Booth representatives and attendees should continue to be careful to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Also, the police department encourages parents with children under the age of 15 to accompany their children during the event.

Money raised from ticket sales helps the organizing committee offer events throughout the year.

"Our committee is grateful for the community's support of this event," said Jill Moorefield of Beckley Events in a press release. "The chili participants put a lot of effort into making their chili and decorating their booths.

"We appreciate our event sponsor — McDonalds, along with in-kind sponsors United Bank and WVU Tech, plus our media partners — The Register-Herald, WVNS59, WVVA, WOAY, 105.9 WTNJ, 103CIR, GROOVY 94.1, 93.5. THE BUZZ, WWNR and WJLS.

"We are grateful for the volunteers, youth council, and city departments who help with events."

For more information, visit www.beckley.org or "Beckley Events" on Facebook.