There will be no 2021 edition of the Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ in Langley City.
“After waiting and waiting….. and waiting for the COVID crisis to play out, we have decided to cancel the event for this year,” the July 23 announcement from event organizers said.
“By the time the vaccinations began to show hope, and the border restrictions were eased it was just too late to proceed with our plans. There were too many logistics problems to overcome within too short a time. We are down, but not out.”
After cancelling the 2020 event due to the pandemic, plans for 2021 had called for the “biggest and best event ever,” with winners eligible for one of 10 tickets to the World Food Championships in Dallas, a ticket to the SCA (Steak Cookoff Association) World Steak Championships in Texas, and invitation to compete at the CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) International Chili Championships in Terlingua, Texas, as well as entries into the Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships and the American Royal World Series of Barbecue.
“We regret not seeing everyone and enjoying a weekend of food, fellowship and fun. But check in with us in the new year for information on the 2022 competition. We’ll be back!”
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Said to be the oldest and largest Chili and BBQ competition in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, the event draws teams from Oregon, Washington State, and all of B.C.
It has raised more than $60,000 for the Young Burn Survivors Camp run by the B.C. Professional Firefighters’ Burn Fund in memory of firefighter and Canadian Festival founder Dave Veljacic.
In return for a minimum suggested $5 donation to the Burn Fund attendees can sample a variety of menu items, including a limited number of competition entries.
For what turned out to be the last pre-COVID competition in 2019, the two-day weekend contest had just relocated from the Cascades Casino parking lot Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
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The festival got its start in New Westminster and moved around the Lower Mainland before settling in Langley.
More photos of the 2019 event can be viewed online.
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