ChiliFest
Frederick’s ChiliFest:
A Community Celebration of Food & Fun!
Every fall, the Frederick Chamber of Commerce proudly hosts our signature community event, The Annual Frederick ChiliFest.
With live music, food & drink vendors, and the highly-anticipated chili, there is sure to be something for the whole family to enjoy.
Save the date for the next Annual Frederick Chilifest:
Saturday, October 24, 2026
…From a Classic Tradition to a Spicy New Celebration!
For nearly 20 years, our community has gathered every fall to celebrate the Frederick Cotton Festival. It was a wonderful tradition that honored our town's roots, but let's be honest—a certain spicy aroma quickly began to steal the show.
It was the part of the day everyone crowded around, where secret family recipes were put to the test, and the friendly competition for a year's worth of bragging rights got hotter every single year.
The Chili Cook-Off was where the real sizzle was.
So, we decided to take the part of the festival everyone loved most and turn the heat all the way up. Welcome to the Frederick Chilifest!
This is the evolution of a 20-year legacy—an all-out celebration of food, live music, and pure community spirit right in the heart of downtown. It’s the tradition you love, reimagined to be a little louder and a little spicier.
Applications + More Info
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To learn more about becoming a vendor, please email us at frederickcc@pldi.net
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In this competition the chili will be blindly judged and scorecards will be based on the following characteristics:
Aroma
Texture
Flavor
Color
People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award will be chosen by the public. After purchasing a ticket for the Chili Cook Off, the ticket holder will show their ticket to get a sample of your team’s chili. Make sure you mark the ticket with the marker provided and then using the 2 oz. sample cups provided, give the ticket holder a sample of your chili.
Once the ticket holder has sampled each team’s chili, they will vote by placing their ticket into your team’s voting container (provided)- at that time you may then serve them one bowl of your team’s chili. Once you are out of chili or wish to leave, make sure you turn in your ticket container to the Chamber booth. The container with the highest number of tickets will be awarded the “People’s Choice Award” and cash prize.
Questions? Contact the Frederick Chamber of Commerce by email frederickcc@pldi.net
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Sponsorship opportunities for Chamber Members are available.
To request more information,PLEASE CLICK HERE.
FAQ + FYI
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We recommend purchasing tickets online in advance, but a limited number of tickets will be available at the entrance.
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The event runs from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. If you have a chili tasting ticket, we highly recommend arriving right at 5:30 PM for the best selection! Chili is available while supplies last.
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Please bring your own lawn chairs to relax and enjoy the music! We will have food and drink vendors on-site for all your refreshment needs.
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For the safety and enjoyment of all attendees, no outside food or drinks of any kind are permitted.
Tumblers, water bottles, and any other reusable drink cups are also NOT permitted.
All bags are subject to search.
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We recommend parking at the Tillman County Courthouse on Main & Gladstone.
If you are unable to, we suggest parking on Floral Avenue.
Please note: We will have portions of Main St., S. Ninth St., and N. Ninth St. blocked off for Chili Teams, so general parking is not permitted.
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We have dedicated express pickup lines!
Chili Only: Corner of 9th & Grand
Music Only: Corner of 10th & Grand
All-Access Pass: Either location!
