Every chili cook knows that you can’t make good chili without some spice to give it flavor. For Chilifest, that spice is the musical entertainment that will be delivering tasty riffs.
Chilifest 2008 is set to kickoff Friday as thousands of Aggies prepare to celebrate an event that has come to be about a lot more than just chili. A slew of musical artists prepare to take the stage, and with a B.Y.O.B. policy, chili teams are getting ready to party on Friday night.
Brittany Johnston, a senior environmental study, is a veteran of Chilifest who has seen it all. Well, except the actual chili.
“I went to Chilifest last year,” Johnston said. “I have never seen the chili there. To my knowledge, [the] chili doesn’t really exist. It’s just the excuse for people to get together and celebrate. It’s going to be a blast!”
“[My favorite artist at Chilifest will be] Gary Allen. I saw him during Texas day and I thought he was a good performer,” Johnston said. “Pat Green gets too wasted to know his name – he’s not a good performer.”
Joining Gary Allen and Pat Green as entertainers Saturday are Aaron Watson, Stony LaRue and the Randy Rogers Band.
“I am just looking forward to being outside with good food and friends, listening to live music and drinking until my heart’s content,” said Robby Pyke, a junior accounting major and first time Chilifest attendee.
“There are 25 to 30 of us [in my Chilifest team] and I know most of them through Fish Camp,” Pyke said. “[We’re named] Team Boss.”
Teams for Chilifest are typically made up of friends who know each other through organizations they share in common.
“I’m on Team Elite,” Johnston said. “They are friends of friends of friends. I’m a third party member. I am looking forward to my loss of memory, hanging out with [friends], having a great time and listening to country music.”
As a younger member of Team Elite, Scott Comley, a senior civil engineering major, said he expects to have a good time, whether its “chili” outside or not.
“I’m not really sure about the chili situation…we’ll see,” Comley said. “I’m expecting it to be pretty wild. I’ve heard a lot of crazy stories about it -it should be pretty fun.”
With a year of fun in the sun at Chilifest under her belt, Johnston had advice for the rookies who are preparing to take the field for their first time Friday night and Saturday.
“Wear nametags, don’t drink underage, bring TP and a pool floaty makes one hell of a mattress,” Johnston said. “It’s going to be the bombs-diggity!”
This weekend’s Chilifest will be the 15th annual event. Proceeds of the weekend will be donated to benefit a variety of local charities.
Chilifest teams may bring in beer Friday, but no liquor or glass containers will be permitted. Gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday and no alcohol can be carried in. Chilifest attendees will have to purchase their beverages on site.