Blues ’N Brews today

With more cooks and anticipated better weather, organizers for today’s Third Annual Chili Blues ’N Brews fest in downtown Waynesboro expect a better turnout.

And chili-cookoff winners have something more to shoot for in addition to more than $3,000 in overall prize money – an opportunity to compete at the 2009 International Society’s World Championship Chili Cookoff.

Rick Moyer, events coordinator for Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc., said 29 chili cooks had signed up to participate. Last year, because of rain postponing the event a day, there were just 17 participants.

For the first time, the Waynesboro chili cookoff is a regional event, meaning winners in all but the people’s choice category qualify for the national event Oct. 9-11 in Charleston, W.Va.

Spectators turning out along the South River will be able to watch the chili being cooked for an hour before actually getting to sample it, and will have their choice of seven microbrews and craft beers to drink while listening to two different blues bands, Proffitt & Sandidge and the Chris Winter Band.

Moyer said the event is a key money-maker for WDDI, which earlier this year faced cash-flow problems.

“It goes to a wide variety of stuff besides keeping our operations open,” Moyer said.

The current budget for WDDI stands at $50,000. Last year’s washout of the chili cookout cost the organization about $10,000.

“It’s going to help us on our operating expenses, obviously,” Moyer said. “Even though we got over that one bump, there’s always that looming bump and our board is working on a fundraising program and plan right now.”

He said the event would continue to promote WDDI’s mission to market downtown Waynesboro.

“It’s not only a great time to come down and have a good time but ... this shows community support and helps us out with our mission to keep downtown and the revitalization going,” Moyer said.