My new favorite event! We checked out this chili and beer festival in Snowmass Village in June and…read morewe'll go back again year after year. The International Chili Society holds its two chili competitions and tastings in Snowmass at the same time that almost 80 microbrewers from all over the country - actually out of the country too, Euro brewers were featured including Paulaner and their yummy strawberry Fruli - have two brew sampling sessions. For around $30 per day, you get a number of tiny sample chili cups, and though they look small, we couldn't even finish them all either of the days. And let me tell you, we tried HARD. There was so much amazing chili and even more fun were the booths that had fun toppers or sides like cilantro sour cream, sliced hot peppers, other veggie garnishes, a variety of cheeses and even cheesy Texas toast in the shape of the state. Personalities were large and all over the map. Also included are sample glasses with which to do damage in the plentiful beer tents. My only gripe was that the beer sampling was limited to just a couple hours each day - not the length of the entire festival, and it ended before the headliners even started. You could buy beer then, but no longer sample. Bummer! It was so fun to wander up and down the ski hill sampling beers like Ghostface Killah and many others, and then ambling over to the mall at Snowmass Village to plow through the maze of chili tents entered into the cook-off. Green chile, white chili, chili with bourbon, chocolate, Guinness, brown sugar, elk, bison, veal, venison, beef, tofu, bacon, sweet potato, garbanzo beans, pickled jalapenos, smoked jalapenos...it went on and on. Many were actually veggie or vegan which was cool. To sweeten the deal, there is a stage in the middle of all this excitement with bands and DJs throughout the afternoon and a couple bigger names each night (BoomBox and Tedeschi Trucks while we were there). And looking down at the stage, you see the most incredible view down the mountain. It was so convenient to be able to have a hotel room literally steps from this event where we could tend to our traveling pups. People played games all day like corn hole, washers, etc... It was a small event, local, full of delicious food and beer at a super affordable price. Kid friendly too.