The Georgia Straight proudly sponsors the Gastown BBQ & Chili Festival

by The Georgia Straight Staff on August 25th, 2014 at 9:30 AM

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The third annual Gastown BBQ & Chili Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday (August 30 to 31) on the 200 block of Carrall Street, between Water and Cordova Streets, and is set to be its biggest and best yet.

The all-ages food and entertainment event is hosted by the Blarney Stone. This year, over a dozen Gastown restaurants will be participating in the festival, including Gringo, Peckinpah, The Hastings Warehouse, Deacon’s Corner, Tuc Craft Kitchen, The Charles Bar, Stateside Craft, Irish Heather, Chill Winston, Lamplighter, Railtown Cafe, and Calabash Bistro.

Each restaurant contestant will be preparing either chicken wings, pork ribs, or beef brisket and will also be serving a chili and two side dishes (coleslaw, potato salad, corn on the cob, or corn bread).

Samples of barbecue and chili will be sold to the public, with proceeds benefiting Athletics for Kids—a non-profit that provides funding for children from low-income families in B.C. to participate in sports.

The fun-filled festival will also feature dancing, live music--including headlining up and coming local band Bend Sinister--as well as a chicken wing-eating contest, pig roast, street performers, beer stand, and restaurant patios extending onto the street, which will be closed to traffic at that time.

This year's celebrity guest judges include: Jason Garrison, Georgia Simmerling, Angus Reid, Jordan Harvey, Joe Leary, Chef Quang Dang, and Casey Jo-loos of 102.7 The Peak.

The Gastown BBQ & Chili Festival is free and open from 12 to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 12 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.