The Sunset Beach Chili Cookoff, presented by the Sunset Beach Womans Club, is returning and the event always spices up the community. It is a rowdy, happy community event, filled with great music, lots of laughter, fantastic Chili, funky decorations and wonderful sponsors, organizers said.
“The Sunset Beach Chili Cookoff is one of the two largest annual events in Sunset Beach and it’s always a lot of fun,” SBWC organizers said in a press release.
This year, contest expects to feature more chili teams than ever before! The SBWC is also hoping to set a new record for scholarships, set last year, when the event raised enough money to present 14 scholarships to talented students in the area. The goal this year is to reach 20 scholarships.
Cat Reed and Back Alley will rock the house and Taco Surf will once again be offering up great tacos and other yummy treats. Other food items will include dumplings, Himalyan Grill style. And guests can enjoy the Cowabunga Van Clan restored and impeccably cool VW Vans.
The Sunset Beach Chili Cookoff is the primary fundraiser for the SBWC, and proceeds from the Sunset Beach Chili Cookoff Support three major initiatives:
• The Sunset Beach Womans Club Scholarship Fund for Educational Scholarships awarded annually to outstanding students living in our community (Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach, Surfside and Joint Forces Naval Weapons Station).
• Maintenance & Educational Programs for the Sunset Beach Community Center which is enjoyed by all residents.
• The Sunset Beach Womans Club Danny Burke Memorial Marine Scholarship Fund – administered in conjunction with HB Lifeguards to teach deserving kids who could not otherwise afford to participate to swim and award scholarships to the Junior Lifeguard Programs.
Last year was the most successful Sunset Beach Chili Cookoff EVER with attendance of over 1000. Over $32,000 was raised for scholarships and charities during this one-day event!
The 2025 event will be held on Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sunset Beach Community Building, 16861 12th St. Huntington Beach. Tickets can be found on eventbright.com or through the SBWC website at sunsetbeachwomansclub.com.
The Sunset Beach Womans Club (SBWC) is a charitable non-profit organizations comprised entirely of volunteers. The group was originally founded in 1929 and in 1931, when they decided they wanted to have a building, the Sunset Beach Womans Club was organized as a 501(C)4 organization. That was at the height of the depression, and yet they managed to purchase a plot of land (on Sunset Island), find and purchase a surplus medical building from the navy, have the building cut in half, delivered and put back together on the land. For the past 95 years, the Sunset Beach Womans Club has always supported our community and awarded scholarships to local students. The Chili Cookoff is the vehicle that drives our scholarship awards.
