Frank's Chili Fest

Frank's Chili Fest returns to Plaza Midwood on Saturday, October 17, from 12 PM to 4 PM. It's an annual community street festival hosted by the Frank McClean Forever Foundation, and it's open to the public, so you can just walk up and join in.

The day is built around two things: live music and chili tasting. Local chefs bring their best pots to the street, and you spend the afternoon working your way through them. It's a community event in every sense—the kind of thing that brings together the neighborhood's chili makers and chili lovers for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. And it's rain or shine, so you don't have to worry about the weather calling it off.

There's a specific reason the foundation puts this on. Frank's Chili Fest raises funds for unexplained pediatric death research and family grief support, with the proceeds going to the SUDC Foundation. So while you're tasting your way through the different chilis, the money you put in is going toward that work.

If you want to taste everything, there's a $20 donation for a wristband that lets you sample all the chili on offer. Kids under five don't need one. The festival runs from 12 PM to 4 PM at the intersection of Commonwealth Ave. and Thomas in Plaza Midwood, Charlotte.