PORTSMOUTH –
Prescott Park Arts Festival will present the 23rd Annual
WHEB Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, October 13. Once again, the chili cook-off
will be paired with Strawbery Banke Museum's Fall Festival, and held on the
grounds of Strawbery Banke, directly across the street from Prescott Park.
Gates are set to open at 10 a.m. and the chili serving will
commence at 11:30 a.m., continuing until all the chili is gone. More than a
dozen restaurants from the Seacoast area and beyond will serve up their best
chili in decorated booths for thousands of attendees to sample and enjoy.
Restaurants will participate in both the Judge's Choice and the People's Choice
award categories, including a Best Veggie category, that carry generous prizes
of $1,500 advertising packages from event co-sponsors. WHEB will be on hand to
provide live entertainment throughout the event and Redhook Ale Brewery Beer
will be served to complement the chili and to round out the day.
The event will also be zero-waste through the use of
compostable bowls, and real metallic spoons. “This event has typically used
more than 10,000 bowls in the past,” said Ben Anderson, Prescott Park Arts
Festival's executive director. “We are proud to be able to divert that from our
local landfill, and know that attendees appreciate it as well.” Audience
members are asked to make a $1 deposit for their metallic spoon, refunded at
the end of the event in exchange for the return of the spoon. Alternatively,
patrons are welcomed to bring their own favorite spoon for tasting.
Each year, more than 4,000 residents and visitors attend the
Chili Cook-off. Participating restaurants include a mix of newcomers and
seasoned Chili Cook-Off veterans. Competing restaurants include Riverworks,
Zahtar, Thirsty Moose, Fat Belly's, Dos Amigos, Flatbread Pizza Company,
Mojo's, Portsmouth Brewery, Old Salt, Press Room, Dolphin Striker, and The
Kitchen.
Chili lovers can fill their bowls to the brim, enjoy a
frosty brew, and the discover all the New Hampshire Fall Festival has to offer.
The Festival features four centuries of tradition home and farm harvest
festivities and visitors will be able to experience a traditional New England
country fair.
Exhibits will include
live demonstrations of historic crafts, trades, and home activities. There will
also be farm animal and livestock demonstrations as master gardeners and
horticulture experts. Local artisans will be displaying and selling their work,
and local food vendors will be on hand to provide great food and drink to
supplement the chili.
Entrance is free for the Prescott Park Arts Festival and
Strawbery Banke Museum members, and tickets are $15 for adults and $6 for
youths (12 and under) for the general public. Tickets are available for an
advance discount price at www.prescottpark.org
For more information on the festival, or to see a full
schedule of events, visit www.prescottpark.org or call 603-436-2848.
