Brisk winter winds brush past and send a chill from head to toe as North Georgia snow falls in the Blue Ridge Mountains. What’s the best way to stay warm? Fight chilly with chili! And the 12th annual Fire & Ice Chili Cookoff & Craft Beer Festival — hosted by the Blue Ridge Business Association and sponsored by the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce — is YOUR perfect opportunity to try local food and brews while enjoying the fresh mountain air and live music this February.
Along with tasty chili samples, a thrilling competition, passionate contestants, and beer tasting, this special event in North Georgia features live entertainment with local talent and features one of the largest ice sculpture displays in the country! Plan your winter Blue Ridge, GA, vacation and experience a unique event that welcomes families and friends to make memories together.
Fiery Chili Cookoff
If you’re the sort of person who loves to sample different foods in one go and hop on local food tours when on vacation, this is the Blue Ridge festival for YOU! The Fire & Ice Chili Cookoff features community, team, and prize-winning chefs who’ve worked hard to perfect their best chili recipe for this fierce competition in the park.
A tasting card is only $10, so you can try loads of amazing chili at a fraction of the cost! Plus, you get to make an impact on the People’s Choice Award by casting your vote after sampling dozens of flavor-packed chilis. Chili cookoff winners will get a lofty cash prize when the awards are presented at 4:00 p.m.
Not interested in trying all the chilis? Opt for food and drink tickets instead — at $5 each. They’ll have tapas, hot dogs, ice cream, Appalachian treats, kettle corn, roasted and glazed nuts, and more festival favs!
Frosty Ice Sculptures
What makes this chili cookoff in Blue Ridge a unique experience? Well, if the Fire comes from chili, then the Ice comes from ice sculpting! Yep, there will be professional ice carvers from Ice Mill Studios wielding their chainsaws and specialty carving equipment to create beautiful 3D ice sculptures for the event. Last year’s frozen artworks included a magical unicorn, prancing pony, snow people, flower pot, birdhouse, candle stand, jumping fish, log cabin, and a giant bowl of pasta!
Plus, you’ll see live ice carving demonstrations, and sculptors can even carve your kids’ names into ice or help them create their own ice masterpieces! Another cool way to participate in the Fire & Ice Festival is to snap a family picture with your faces pressed into a bear cut-out made entirely from ice…neat is an understatement.
More Frozen Artworks YOU Might See
- Bigfoot!
- Black bear
- Blue Ridge train
- Business logos
- Log chair
- Perched owl
- Rearing buck
- Statue of Liberty
- Wine goblet
Enjoying all the icy art? You may find art galleries, art classes, and seasonal events by the Blue Ridge Mountains Art Association worth your time in the North Georgia Mountains.
Family-Friendly Live Entertainment
You know, a mountain festival in Blue Ridge, GA, without live entertainment wouldn’t be a mountain festival at all. The Fire & Ice Chilli Cookoff & Craft Beer Festival doesn’t disappoint — with local artists and guest entertainers! Family-friendly music plays throughout the day, and you can dance and sing along at the train depot on Depot Street.
Face Painting for the Kids
With bluegrass, rock, and Appalachian strums in the background, the kiddos can get their faces painted at this family-friendly event in downtown Blue Ridge! Just imagine their faces lighting up as they transform into a beautiful butterfly, an adorable puppy, a cool superhero, or a rambunctious robot.
Appalachian Craft Brews, Wine & Cider
An event feature introduced only a few years ago, you can now find locally crafted beers from Blue Ridge breweries in the area at the Fire & Ice Festival in Blue Ridge! From ales, IPAs, and sours to stouts, lagers, and hybrids, slim pickings of craft brews isn’t a thing in the North Georgia Mountains. Visit the beer garden to try some of the South’s best beer!
Not a fan of beer but want a little buzz? Opt for one of the local wines or hard apple ciders from Mercier Orchards offered at this Blue Ridge winter event.
Participating Breweries
- Bold Rock
- Burnt Hickory Brewery
- Devils Backbone Brewing Company
- Grumpy Old Men Brewing
- Jekyll Brewing
- Monday Night Brewing
- Tucker Brewing Company
- Wicked Weed Brewing
Event Details
When
February 18, 2023 — Saturday
Open: noon – 5:00 p.m.
Where
City Park + East Main Street
Downtown Blue Ridge, GA 30513
Admission
FREE to enter!
Food & Drink Ticket: $5
Chili Tasting Card: $10
Pets & Kids
This North Georiga event is kid friendly and pet friendly! Just remember to keep your fur babies on a leash at all times.
Restrooms
On-site toilets are available at this Blue Ridge event.
Weather
The North Georgia Mountains can become pretty chilly in winter, so be sure to bundle up and grab a cup of chili as soon as you enter the Blue Ridge Fire & Ice event area. Worried about this event canceling? Rain or snow will not stop the mountain fun!
Blue Ridge Mountain Cabin Rentals
After sampling chili and beer, tapping your toes to bluegrass beats, and watching mesmerizing ice sculpting demos, stay extra cozy by a crackling fireplace with rounds of hot cocoa or glasses of wine at your cabin rental in North Georgia. At Georgia Cabins for YOU, you’ll have a variety of cabin rentals to choose from to suit your family vacation, getaway with friends, or group reunion.
The top of our amenity list includes steamy hot tubs, stunning mountain views, outdoor lounges, firepits, king suites, spa-like jetted tubs indoors, game rooms, wet bars, theaters, full kitchens, grills, and complimentary Wi-Fi. You’ll also have a starter kit with vacay essentials, 1 towel set per guest, and any local deals we can muster up for YOU!
Winter in the Blue Ridge Mountains invites YOU to book your memorable mountain retreat and check out the Fire & Ice Festival!
