After a two-year hiatus, a popular festival is returning to Havelock with plenty of fun-filled activities for families to enjoy this weekend.
The 40th Annual Havelock Chili Festival will be held beginning at 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Walter B. Jones Park, Havelock.
In addition to the chili cooks competing for top honors in Red Chili and People’s Choice divisions, over 85 vendors, artisans and nonprofit organizations will be on hand selling food, drinks, crafts, and merchandise, and raising awareness about their various causes and missions, according to a press release.
Follow on InstagramNew Bern Sun Journal
Students from the Havelock High School Marching Band open the day's events with the national anthem, followed by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Brass Band on the main stage.
Music will be a huge part of the event with musical guest Bridge Atlantic, a group that plays soulful rock and pop covers taking the small stage at 2 p.m. and the dance show band Carl Newton's Review of Wilmington will be performing beginning at 4:30 p.m. and entertain the crowds until 7:30 p.m.
The festival will also feature K9s and their handlers from the Craven County Sheriff’s Department doing demonstrations throughout the day. There will also be displays from the Havelock Fire Department, Police Department, city of Havelock Public Works, and Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative. Other fun activities include a dunking booth and walk-through storytime.
Havelock Chili Festival visitors will be able to choose from a wide variety of foods including lumpia, Thai Asian Cruise Food, Pacific Island fusion, turkey legs, burgers, hot dogs, fries, funnel cakes, chicken wings, Italian ice, shaved ice, kettle corn, gourmet beef jerky, boba tea, and, of course, chili. There will be an ATM on-site and credit cards can be used to buy chili tickets and HCF souvenirs.
The Havelock Chili Festival was created as a means for nonprofit organizations to raise funds and awareness for their causes. Proceeds from the annual community event also benefit nonprofit organizations in our local area. In the last 5 years of the Havelock Chili Festival, the all-volunteer HCF Committee has had the pleasure of giving out over $50,000 to the local community.
The community event is planned and executed entirely by volunteers both on the Havelock Chili Festival Committee and from local nonprofits, schools and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Generous corporate sponsors, in addition to support from The City of Havelock and MCAS Cherry Point, are also invaluable to ensuring the success of the Havelock Chili Festival every year.
In 2019, over $11,500 in funds were distributed to a variety of organizations, schools, and causes, including $1,000 in scholarships and $2,000 in STEM grants to Havelock Elementary and Middle schools.
For more information, visit www.chilifestival.org or Facebook: Havelock Chili Festival.