Town prepares for Chili Festival

The town of Middlebury’s third annual Winter Carnival and Chili Festival will take place on Mar. 12, less than a month after the College’s own Winter Carnival. According to Joe Colangelo, assistant town manager, no conscious effort was made to ensure that the Chili Festival did not coincide with the College’s Winter Carnival festivities. Rather, the date was set primarily so it would not be the same weekend as Burlington’s popular Mardis Gras. The two events were held on the same weekend in February last year, and Colangelo speculates that this year’s Chili Festival will draw even larger crowds.

“We figured we could capture some of the restaurants and Chittenden County folks,” said Colangelo, who is co-chair of the Chili Festival committee and also on the board of directors of Better Middlebury Partnership, the local group that is organizing the event.

In addition, those on the committee wanted to use the Chili Festival as an opportunity to spice up the somewhat dreary month of March in Middlebury, setting the date for “a larger event … during a dead period.”

Last year, the event brought 2,200 people together to enjoy a variety of chili. Given that Route 7 is more accessible because of the newly completed Cross Street Bridge, the town will be able to block off downtown Middlebury, and Main St. will be open to pedestrians only. Colangelo thinks that this change, along with a bit of cooperation from the weather, could bring in another 1,000 attendees. Since it started in 2009, the Chili Festival has been named one of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s top 10 winter activities.

Holmes Jacobs, co-owner of Two Brothers Tavern in town, has played an important role in attracting restaurants from all across the state to the Chili Festival. This year, there will be over 50 vendors from places as far as Rutland, Burlington and Montpelier, offering approximately 80 different kinds of chili.

Though the event is scheduled to run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., a beer tent will be open for those of age until 6:30 p.m. For a younger crowd, there will be a face painting station. The police and fire departments of Middlebury will also have some of their equipment and trucks on display. Two DJ booths will be set up at each end of Main St., and a cappella groups will perform as well.

“The whole point is to really show people how fun downtown Middlebury can be,” said Colangelo. “If you’re mixing DJs, chili and beer, what could be better?”

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for children. A family of four, Colangelo said, can have a great day for just $10.

“You go home stuffed, and you might need a Tums or two,” he said.