Prepare your taste buds for a Chili Challenge like no other at the SouthSide Arts District’s Spring on the SouthSide Community Festival & Chili Cook-Off.
Entering our 24th year on Saturday, April 27th we are welcoming over 20 competing chilies to contend for the Title of People’s Choice Best Chili and the Celebrity Judge’s Top Choice! Last year’s 2018 winners The Bayou & A List Salon & Spa (People’s Choice) and Social Still (Judge’s Top Choice) will be contending again to hold onto their crown.
Chili Tastings will be stationed throughout the shops and restaurants on 3rd and 4th Streets, and on the South Bethlehem Greenway. Chili passports are on sale now online at www.southsideartsdistrict.com, or can be purchased day of at our registration booth on the Greenway between Adams and New Streets. A $10 passport will get you 10 tastings to enjoy or share. NEW this year – the ULTIMATE CHILI PASSPORT – giving you access to try all the Chili Competitors that day for $25! Bring two canned food donations in support of New Bethany Ministries and the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley’s Food Pantry, and you receive a $2 discount on your passport!
Beyond the chili – the day will include retail and craft vendors on the Greenway, free activities for children, live music and two NEW beer gardens – at Bonn Place Brewing Company and Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub. Bring your Musikfest Mug for a special Mug Refill! And don’t forget to stop by the Cops ‘n’ Kids Celebration of Readingat Northampton Community College and Homebase Skateshop’s HOT PEPPER eating contest – where only the strong survive!
Join us on the SouthSide’s Greenway as we say goodbye to Old Man Winter and hello to Spring!
Participating Restaurants Include:
- Comfort Suites / 120 W. 3rd St
- St. Bernard’s Home of Good Samaritans / 333 Brodhead Ave.
- Revel Social / 217 Broadway, Bethlehem, PA 18015
- Tally Ho Tavern / 205 W. 4th St
- The Bayou at A List Salon / 128 W. 4th St
- Roasted / 22 W. 4th St
- Veg Out / 22 W. 4th St
- Santoro’s at Hair By Eskandalo! / 12 W. 4th St
- Sotto Santi / 10 W. 4th St
- Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub / 4 E. 4th St
- Tulum / 17 W. Morton St
- Break Away Farms at Rise Above Salon / 333 S. New St
- Lehigh University Police at the SouthSide Arts District Office / 324 S. New St
- Sagra Beans Coffeehouse / 306 S. New St
- Edible Arrangements / 11 E. 3rd St
- The Flying Egg at Domaci / 21 E. 3rd St
- The Bookstore Speakeasy / 336 Adams St
- Puerto Rico Beneficial Society / 205 E. 3rd St
- Bonn Place Brewing Company / 310 – 14 Taylor St
- SouthSide 313 / 313 E. 3rd St
- Molinari’s / 322 E. 3rd St
- Café the Lodge / 427 E. 4th St (back patio off the Greenway)
- El Jefe’s Taqueria / 506 E. 3rd St
- Social Still / 530 E. 3rd St
- ZIME at Northampton Community College Fowler Center Lobby / 511 E. 3rd St
*Chili participants are subject to change
Festival Schedule:
11am - 3pm – Cops ‘N’ Kids Celebration of Reading
Cops ‘N’ Kids 13th Annual Celebration of Reading and the Arts & Sciences
What: Free entertainment, free books, free food, crafts, science experiments and more!
Where: Northampton Community College Fowler Family SouthSide Center at 511 E. Third Street
For more information visit http://www.copsnkidslv.org
11am – 4pm – Chili Cook Off Celebration
Chili Tastings will be stationed throughout the shops and restaurants of 3rd and 4th Streets! Pick up your passport at the registration booth located on the Greenway between Adams & New Streets or buy online today! Passports can be picked up as early as Monday, April 22nd at the SouthSide Arts District Office located at 324 S. New Street.
What: One passport buys you 10 chili tastings and a vote for your favorite. NEW this year – the ULTIMATE CHILI PASSPORT – giving you access to try all the Chili Competitors that day for $25! Enjoy live music provided by Godfrey Daniels and Underground Music Collective, sidewalk sales, retail and craft vendors on the Greenway, and crafts for the kids. Musician line-up includes:
11am – 12:30pm
Domaci, 21 E. 3rd St – Indie Rock Guitarist, Anthony Pasciutti
Molinari’s, 322 E 3rd St – Acoustic Pop Artist, Jay-T
12:30-2pm
Social Still, 530 E. 3rd St – Folk Rocker of Acoustic Kitty Project, Carter Lansing
Café the Lodge, 427 E 4th St – Folk Rock Musician, Mark Hannig
2pm-3:30pm
Roasted & Veg Out, 22 W.4th St – Alternative Band, Plum
Southside 313, 313 E 3rd St – Acoustic Rock Artist, Doug Kaetz
Comfort Suites Hill-to-Hill Grill, 1220 W 3rd St – Folk Rock Musician, Darin Jellison
12pm – 5pm – 2 NEW BEER GARDENS at Molly’s Irish Grille and Bonn Place Brewing
Two new Beer Gardens will be added to the festival this year! Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub will be hosting their Beer Garden outside of their location on 4th & New Streets. And Bonn Place Brewing, along with other brewers & spirits will be hosting their Beer Garden outside of Bonn at Mechanic and Taylor streets! Be sure to bring your Musikfest Mug!
4pm – 5pm – Hot Pepper Eating Contest & Winner Announcements
Only the strong survive at Homebase Skate Shop’s HOT Pepper Eating Contest. Watch local heroes dive into the depths of spicy peppers, and see a new champion be crowned! Then stay for the announcement of our People’s Choice & Judge’s Choice Chili Winners!
Where: The Main Stage on the Greenway between New & Adams Streets
5pm – Closing Special Performance from Jack Murray and Blue Tarp Wranglers
Where: The Main Stage on the Greenway between New & Adams Streets
We’d like to thank our sponsors for making this festival happen. We simply could not put on Spring on the SouthSide without the support of: ArtsQuest & The Comfort Suites Bethlehem (our title sponsors),Bonn Place Brewing, Christian Weber Creatives, Godfrey Daniels, Homebase Skateshop, Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub, The Restaurant Store, UGI Utilities, Underground Music Collective and Wegmans.
For more information please visit www.southsideartsdistrict.com or call 610-419-9180 to speak with Missy Hartney the SouthSide Arts District Downtown Manager.
*Passport purchase is required to participate. Must be 21 or older to enter Beer Gardens. Passports are for chili tastings only. Please drink responsibly. No refunds.Event is Rain or Shine.