WINGS WINGS WINGS?

The 42nd Annual Havelock Chili Festival will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2024, in Walter B. Jones Park, downtown Havelock, NC. 

Event hours are Saturday 10am until 8pm. We are looking for the best amateur and professional chili and wings cooks to battle it out for the 2024 title(s). We are not members of the International Chili Society (ICS) this year.  

ENTRY FEES/REQUIREMENTS

• CHILI - $45 entry fee + All competitors must provide a minimum of five (5) gallons of chili to serve the public for the People’s Choice competition. However, the more chili you have for tasting, the more visitors can taste your chili and vote for you to win!
• WINGS - $50 entry fee. Wings will be provided by the Havelock Chili Festival Committee through the generous sponsorship of the Havelock Rotary. A minimum number of wings must be prepared onsite to qualify for the competition. Details TBD.

COMPETITION - ALL ENTRANTS MUST FOLLOW CRAVEN COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES.

• All Chili Cooks must participate in the People’s Choice competition. People’s Choice serving to the public will begin at 12pm and continue until 4pm or until you run out. Festival visitors will vote for their favorite chili via 1 ballot per wristband purchased. 
• People’s Choice CHILI can be prepared off-site, heated the day of the festival and must be HOMESTYLE chili as defined - “Homestyle Chili is any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Homestyle chili may be any color. Beans are required. Preference is not given to either cut meat, ground meat, shredded meat or cubed meat. Seafood is allowed. You may garnish this chili however you like.”
• All Wings Cooks must participate in the People’s Choice competition and can choose to enter the judged completion as well. Festival visitors vote using purchased punchcards - 1 card = 1 vote. All wings must be prepared on-site.
• Wings may be fried, breaded, grilled with sauce(s) being up to the individual cook.

TRADITIONAL RED CHILI COMPETITION & WINGS COMPETITION

• There will be ONE category in the JUDGED CHILI competition: Traditional Red defined as "any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden. No garnish is allowed." Entry fee is included with People’s Choice entry should a cook choose to enter the judged competition.
• All JUDGED Competition Chili must be prepared on-site. People’s Choice Homestyle chili can be prepared off-site.
• Competition chili and wings will be judged by a blind taste test of local judges.  

REQUIREMENTS/RULES FOR ALL COOKS

• Contestants must provide all necessary equipment to include utensils, tables, cookers, a 5-lb fire extinguisher, and cleaning stations per Health Department regulations. Chili cooks will be provided a 10x20 tent by the Havelock Chili Festival Committee.  
• Serving containers, spoons, and napkins will be provided by the Festival. Condiments are the responsibility of the contestant. A MANDATORY Cooks Meeting will be held (see timeline page 2), and initial issue of paper products will be made at that time.
• Tickets/wristbands for chili tasting will be sold by the Festival. NO MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED BY CONTESTANTS. Details for how voting will be handled will be explained at the COOKS meeting at 8am and 1:30pm.
• Awards: JUDGED Competition Chili and People’s Choice - Saturday at 5:30pm. Judged Wings & People’s Choice - Saturday at 7:45pm.
• Chili cooks are welcome to bring cookers, etc. Friday evening 4 to 8pm but 10x20 tents cannot be raised until Saturday at 6am. No security will be provided.
• Cooks will be sent any changes/details closer to event. 

Any questions may be directed to HavelockChiliCommittee@outlook.com