Parade / Chili Cookoff Entries Sought

The Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair is seeking parade and chili cookoff entries. The street fair is scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd.

Parade applications must be returned by Friday, September 1, in order to participate.There is no entry fee. Fill out an application online or download it at smokyhillmuseum.org under the Street Fair tab. To have an application mailed to you, email [email protected], or call Rosa De La Cruz at 785-309-5776.

On September 23, the parade entry sign‐in will begin at 9:00 a.m. Participants must be signed in and in place by 9:45 a.m. The parade will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

The parade route will be on Santa Fe Avenue, between Elm Street and South Street. An information packet will be sent to everyone who enters by the deadline.

Entries are also being sought to cook up their own unique brand of chili. The first six teams to enter will compete for the People’s Choice Award and best decorated booth. Winners will receive a combination of cash and prizes valued at $150. The deadline to enter is August 31, 2023.

Entrants must prepare a minimum of five gallons of chili. Public sampling begins at 12 noon. In order to make this less of a burden, the Museum will provide ingredients to help each team get off to a good start. Teams will receive a generous starting kit of ingredients that includes 15 lbs. of beef, and a mess of onions and tomatoes. From there, each team can add their own unique ingredients to make the chili something special.

Online or printable entry forms and a complete set of rules and regulations may be found at www.smokyhillmuseum.org under the Chili Cook-off link. To have a copy mailed to you call 785-309-5776 or email [email protected].

Completed applications and a $25 application fee must be postmarked or hand-delivered by August 31, 2023, to the Smoky Hill Museum at 211 West Iron Avenue. The application fee is non-refundable.

This year’s Smoky Hill Museum Street Fair Parade will feature the theme, Salina’s Old West, to support the Old West theme of the Street Fair.