Get ready for a sizzling night of flavor, fun, and community spirit as the First City Chili Bowl comes to Museum Plaza on Friday, March 20, 2026, from 5:30–8:30 PM. This highly anticipated event, held during Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola, invites chili lovers, families, and friends to enjoy a festive evening filled with outstanding chili, lively music, and lively competition.
Hosted by the Rotary Club of Pensacola-Cordova, the First City Chili Bowl brings together local cooks to showcase their best chili recipes, with attendees sampling and voting for their favorites. Proceeds from the event support the local community efforts of the Wounded Warrior Project and the Pensacola-Cordova Rotary Foundation, two nonprofit organizations helping to strengthen a variety of community programs and initiatives.
Adding to the fun is live entertainment by The Wavy Winstons, providing energetic performances throughout the evening to complement the chili cook-off atmosphere. Music, food, and community camaraderie make this a must-attend event.
Guests can purchase tickets in advance or at the door, with kids 5 & under admitted free. Event organizers expect hundreds of attendees, making this one of Pensacola’s most exciting community events of the season.
Whether you come for the chili, the music, or the chance to support worthy causes, the First City Chili Bowl promises a night of unforgettable flavors and family-friendly fun. For more information and to buy tickets or sign up as a competition team, visit www.firstcitychili.org.
About the Rotary Club of Pensacola-Cordova
The Pensacola-Cordova Rotary Club (a morning-chapter of the larger Rotary International community) is a group of local business and civic leaders who focus on “service above self.” They passionately support many issues affecting the Pensacola Bay Area, including hunger, child abuse, human trafficking, and the environment. The club meets weekly on Thursday mornings at Gulf Coast Kid’s House and provides ongoing donations and service projects to local nonprofits throughout the year. The Foundation is the charitable arm that supports the idea of “doing good in the world” by taking donations and turning them into grants and programs that improve health, expand education, fight poverty, and build goodwill and peace.
