What began as a humble community potluck hosted by the San Diego Ceramic Connection has grown into one of the most anticipated holiday events of the year! SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off returns to the intersection of Thorn and 32nd Street on Sunday, December 1 for its 10th Anniversary to raise funds for McKinley Elementary School鈥檚 Spanish, art, and music program. Enter for a chance to win a chili tasting for 2 and read on to learn what's new for this year's free-to-attend annual event.
Battling it out for bragging rights to the best pot of chili in the city, the festival features 40 chefs from prominent restaurants in the neighborhood, each offering up a special chili inspired by their locale. Participating restaurants includes Blind Lady Alehouse, Tiger! Tiger!, The Haven, Cafe Madeleine, City Tacos, Kensington Cafe, Fernside, Panama 66, The Smoking Goat, Home and Away, Kairoa Brewing, Dunedin, Underbelly, Hamilton鈥檚 Tavern, Shank And Bone, Lucha Libre Taco Shop, Modern Times, Tribute Pizza, Waypoint Public, Starlite, Soda & Swine, South Park Brewing, Kindred, Station Tavern, Wonderland Ocean Pub, The Smoking Gun, The Original 40, and many more.
Drawing on North Park鈥檚 reputation as a craft beer mecca, SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off鈥檚 beer garden features 24 breweries from the surrounding areas. Hop heads will be able to purchase pours ($7 each) from Societe, Mike Hess Brewing, Pizza Port, and more. There will also be hard cider and kombucha options. Buona Forchetta鈥檚 vintage pizza truck will be slinging out their award-winning Neapolitan slices from inside the garden for those looking for a bite in-between sips.
Those looking to do some shopping can browse the Holiday Marketplace, where nearly 30 local makers and artisans will be offering a curated mix of locally-made goods, including kid鈥檚 clothes, stationary, jewelry, and home d茅cor. The holiday market features brands such as Heart Soul Printing, Butcher Press, INKredible Design, and Stitches by Stacey. For music lovers, two stages feature local, live music all day long. An all-ages event, SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off also features an interactive Kids Fest on 32nd Street featuring multiple bounce houses, carnival games, face painters, and a kid鈥檚 fest stage.
SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off is free to enter. For chili tasting, tickets are $22 and include a ceramic bowl or festival mug and 5 chili tastings. The Bring-Your- Own-Mug ticket is $17 for a 5-taste pass. Beer, wine and spirits will be $7 and there is a re-usable beer mug with 2 drink ticket option for $20. Proceeds benefit McKinley Elementary School鈥檚 Spanish, art, and music program.
The 10th annual SoNo Fest & Chili Cook Off takes place on Sunday, December 1, from 11am-5pm at the intersection of 32nd & Thorn Street in San Diego's North Park. For more information and to scoop tasting tickets, visit .SoNo Fest & Chili Cook-Off is free to enter. For chili tasting, tickets are $22 and include a ceramic bowl or festival mug and 5 chili tastings. The Bring-Your- Own-Mug ticket is $17 for a 5-taste pass. Beer, wine and spirits will be $7 and there is a re-usable beer mug with 2 drink ticket option for $20. Proceeds benefit McKinley Elementary School鈥檚 Spanish, art, and music program.
