This weekend marked the 31st annual Chili Cook-Off, an event that has a long history in Malibu and has been located on the 20 acres of mostly empty land in the center of Malibu since 1982. Every year, the fair draws in more than 10,000 people and raises well over $1 million, which is then donated to a vast amount of both local and national charities. Each year, the fair focuses on one charity to receive the majority of funds. This year, it is sponsoring the Wounded Warrior Project, which focuses on supporting veterans who have been wounded while serving our country.
Everything you expect to be at a carnival was present — there were some awesome rides like the Zipper, which resembles a caged Ferris wheel. A surprising favorite was the Gravitron, which is a room that spun so fast that it allowed riders to climb the walls.
There was a huge amount of food — everything from your classic fair food like funnel cake, cotton candy and dipped ice cream cones, to somewhat unusual foods like fried eggplant. Given the name of the festival, there of
course is a large variety of chili, and the competition is steep. To enter the
Chili Cook-Off, vendors had to pay an entrance fee of $375 and provide two-ounce
samples for a fee of $1 to the public. The vendor who had the largest amount of dollar bills at the end of the fair was the winner.
Besides the great rides and the huge variety of food, the fair also boasted a number of different vendors, including palm reading, airbrush tattoos, face painting and some really great fair games. The fair also provided some pretty awesome prizes for the raffle. This year’s prizes included sports memorabilia and items autographed by celebrities and professional athletes. In previous years the fair has even offered up luxury cars. Between rides fair goers were able to check out this year’s live entertainment such as local band Karma Dealers who played on Saturday, bringing their mixture of blues and rock and roll to the stage.
In the past the Chili Cook-Off has been known as a great spot to catch celebrities hanging with their families and friends. Last year the singer P!nk was in attendance along with Nicole Richie, Tori Spelling, Miley Cyrus and countless others. This year some celebrities present included Cindy Crawford, Reese Witherspoon, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kendall Jenner and Nick Nolte.
A common complaint about the fair is the price. Parking is $5, but many attendees parked across the street at the Malibu Colonies shopping center and walked over. The entrance fee is $10, but that doesn’t include any rides. The prices for rides vary. If you arrive after 6 p.m., they no longer offer the unlimited ride wristband, which costs $35. So fairgoers are left with two options: $40 for 50 tickets or $20 for 20 tickets. The second option doesn’t give very many rides since most rides cost four tickets. Luckily there are conveniently placed ATMs around the grounds, but they do charge a $4 user fee.
The Malibu Chili Cook-Off is truly a great time and it is very easy to see why it has become a staple of the Malibu community. Unfortunately this once-a-year wonder will not return to the ‘Bu until next Labor Day weekend. If you can’t wait until then, check out their website at malibukiwanischilicookoff.com for updates throughout the year.
Everything you expect to be at a carnival was present — there were awesome rides like the Zipper, which resembles a caged Ferris wheel. A surprising favorite was the Gravitron, which is a room that spun so fast that it allowed riders to climb the walls.
There was a huge amount of food — everything from your classic fair food like funnel cake, cotton candy and dipped ice cream cones, to somewhat unusual foods like fried eggplant. Given the name of the festival, there is of course is a large variety of chili, and the competition is steep. To enter the Chili Cook-Off, vendors had to pay an entrance fee of $375 and provide two-ounce samples for a fee of $1 to the public. The vendor who had the largest amount of dollar bills at the end of the fair was the winner.
Besides the great rides and the huge variety of food, the fair also boasted a number of different vendors, including palm reading, airbrush tattoos, face painting and some really great fair games. The fair also provided some pretty awesome prizes for the raffle. This year’s prizes included sports memorabilia and items autographed by celebrities and professional athletes. In previous years, the fair has even offered up luxury cars. Between rides, fair goers were able to check out this year’s live entertainment such as local band Karma Dealers who played on Saturday, bringing their mixture of blues and rock and roll to the stage.
In the past, the Chili Cook-Off has been known as a great spot to catch celebrities hanging with their families and friends. Last year, the singer P!nk was in attendance along with Nicole Richie, Tori Spelling, Miley Cyrus and countless others. This year, some celebrities present included Cindy Crawford, Reese Witherspoon, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kendall Jenner and Nick Nolte.
A common complaint about the fair is the price. Parking cost $5, but many attendees parked across the street at the Malibu Colonies shopping center and walked over. The entrance fee is $10, but that doesn’t include any rides. The prices for rides vary. If you arrive after 6 p.m., they no longer offer the unlimited ride wristband, which costs $35. So fairgoers are left with two options: $40 for 50 tickets or $20 for 20 tickets. The second option doesn’t give very many rides since most rides cost four tickets. Luckily there are conveniently placed ATMs around the grounds, but they do charge a $4 user fee.
The Malibu Chili Cook-Off is truly a great time and it is very easy to see why it has become a staple of the Malibu community. Unfortunately, this once-a-year wonder will not return to the ‘Bu until next Labor Day weekend. If you can’t wait until then, check out their website at malibukiwanischilicookoff.com for updates throughout the year.
