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Gatlinburg Winter Festival & Chili Cookoff Participation Form

It’s time to make Gatlinburg come alive with Winter Magic - and we need your help! Join us for the 37th Annual Gatlinburg Winter Festival & Chili Cookoff on Thursday, November 12, 2026 in Downtown Gatlinburg, stretching from Traffic Light #6 to Light #8. Be part of the excitement at our growing Winter Festival! We’re looking for game vendors, craft vendors, dessert contestants, and Chili Cookoff contenders to join this fun-filled community event. Showcase your business, connect with attendees, and help make this year’s festival bigger and better than ever! Please be sure to read our Public Events Disclaimer.

Participation Fee: $125 

Fee must be paid before October 2, 2026. You must also read and agree to Participant Guidelines.


APPLICATION & FEE DEADLINE 

Friday, October 2, 2026

If you have any questions or concerns, please call (865) 436-0523 or email the CVB Events Team.

Public Event Disclaimer

The Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau is aware of fraudulent activities where individuals are impersonating our organization and soliciting vendors on our behalf. Please be advised that all legitimate communications from the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding public events will originate exclusively from email addresses ending in @gatlinburg.com. We will never request payments through Venmo or similar payment applications. If you receive any suspicious communications or payment requests, please contact us directly at Events@gatlinburg.com to verify their authenticity. Protect yourself from scams by ensuring all interactions are with verified Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau representatives.

Participation Form

If you're a Carnival Vendor, what type of game will you be providing?

Description Food Sampling


Awards Category - select all that apply



Bean Request Form

1. If you choose to use a different bean than what is provided, you must use a Bush's® Beans product.

2. If you are unable to participate and have placed a bean order, your beans must be returned to the Events office by November 20th. Otherwise you will be invoiced for the beans at retail cost.

 

Order must be placed by Friday, October 2, 2026

Email the Events team or call 865-436-0523 with any questions

 

Beans are only available in one gallon cans.
You can only order a total of 36 cans for each participating vendor.  
Please only request the bean amount you require for your recipe.

 

Enter the number of gallons you need for each bean below.  Leave 0 if you do not need beans of that type. 

Meat Request Form

We are excited to have Bryant Beef sponsoring this year’s Chili Cookoff by providing ground beef and ground pork for participating chili vendors!

 

1. Meat is available at no cost to participating chili vendors, thanks to our generous sponsor, Bryant Beef.

2. Each participating vendor may request up to 50 pounds of total meat. You may choose to request ground beef, ground pork, or a combination of both.

3. Please only request the amount of meat you need for your chili recipe. This helps us ensure we have enough meat available for all participating vendors.

4. If you are unable to participate in the Chili Cookoff after placing a meat order, please contact the Events Team as soon as possible.

 

Meat orders must be submitted by Friday, October 2, 2026. Please email the Events Team or call 865-436-0523 with any questions.

 

Enter 0 if not needed

Enter 0 if not needed

Enter 0 if not needed

* Indicates a required field.

37th Annual Gatlinburg Winter Festival & Chili Cookoff 

presented by Bush's Beans

November 12, 2026 from 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Official Rules & Regulations 

  1. Chili is defined as an original, very tasty concoction that contains spicy seasonings, chili peppers and often tomatoes, beans and meat. Vegetarian Chili is acceptable.
  2. Cooks must prepare a minimum of 50 gallons (1,600 - 4 oz servings) of chili for tasting during the Chili Cook-off. All 50 gallons may be prepared off premises, brought to the event & kept hot for sampling. Bush's® Beans must be used in your recipe.
  3. The GCVB Events Division will supply spoons, cups for chili, entertainment, booth space, and awards.
  4. Tents supplied by the GCVB Events Division will be the only ones allowed on-site, in order to maintain a professional appearance for the event.
  5. Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Chili which is judged by a panel of “tasting” judges. Categories are listed on front of application (please check appropriate category).
  6. Additional awards will be given for Best Booth Presentation and the “People’s Choice Award.”
  7. Demonstrations / Solicitation of votes for the People’s Choice Award are permitted from inside your booth ONLY. Soliciting votes is NOT permitted outside of your booth. All contestants and support teams are asked to respect other vendors & rules.
  8. No Live Entertainment at your booth (such as live bands or karaoke).
  9. Teams are subject to Health Department and Fire Department inspection and must comply with all Health and Safety Regulations.
  10. All heating of food product must be performed on propane- fuel or charcoal / wood fired equipment provided by team. All cooking equipment is subject to fire department inspection. Portable generators, safely placed and used, are permitted as long as noise levels produced by the generator do not interfere with any event function or participant.
  11. The decision of the judges shall be final.

Chili Judging and Preparation Rules

  • The chili to be judged MUST BE 100% IDENTICAL TO THE CHILI SERVED FOR PUBLIC TASTING.
  • No chili recipe may be prepackaged in anyway prior to the preparation period. The only exceptions are canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, peppers, pepper sauce, beverages, broth and grinding or mixing of spices.
  • A representative of the GCVB shall conduct a contestant’s meeting at which time final instructions are to be given. This meeting will be no later than 1 hour prior to the official starting time of the cook-off, which begins officially with sampling beginning at 5 pm. You MUST send someone to this meeting to represent your organization/business.
  • Contestants are responsible for supplying all their own cooking utensils, etc. Contestants must also supply napkins, lighting, extension cords, GAS stove for cooking/heating, and non-electric coolers for refrigeration Tent space is limited, and applications will be taken on a first come, first served basis.
  • Each contestant will be given a contestant’s letter from the Chief Scorekeeper and be given a container. Each chili contestant should verify that the letter on the side of their container is the same as their contestant’s letter assigned to them by the Chief Scorekeeper. Chili participant will deliver their chili for judging to the “Chili Judging Area” located on site”. Please see Event Staff regarding judging area, when checking in your chili for the “Judges Choice” contest.

In consideration of being allowed to participate in this special event produced by the GCVB Events Division, we acknowledge that participating in municipal projects can be a hazardous activity and assume all risks associated with this work. We waive all claims to damages against GCVB, the City and against its officers, employees and volunteers for injuries to persons or property, including death and destruction that may arise from this activity and release the GCVB and its officers and employees and agree to hold them harmless from any such liability.