The Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off and Bluegrass Festival 2023 is your neighborhood walk gone wild, turning a few blocks of the Cabbagetown neighborhood of Atlanta into a festival venue. Last year two street blocks were reserved for the chili cook off, four blocks for the over 80 local artists who sell their work, a street for festival sponsoring vendors, a long street for food vendors, and another block for restaurants. Fiber arts, jewelers, potters, and ceramicists like Meredith Habermann are represented at the art stands, and on the street corners and in the park you’ll find games and five stages populated by music groups that loosely have their roots in bluegrass instrumentation. (The lineup has not yet been released at the time of this writing.)
Chomp and Stomp was originally conceived as an homage to some of the important country musicians who resided in Cabbagetown like Fiddlin’ John Carson, Moonshine Kate, and Joyce Brookshire. Since its inception 20 years ago many prominent acts have played at the festival like West King Street Band and Cat Power. More recently Cabbagetown, has given its stamp of approval to acts ranging from Blue Cactus’s dream country vibes and Challenger Deep’s explosive instrumental rock to Magnolia Express’s new roots sound.
Music aside, Chili occupies an equally important part of the Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off and Bluegrass Festival. Check out the past years results of the chili cook off: spreadsheets of data down to the decimal means these people mean serious business. The closest thing to a festival entrance fee is a $10 spoon needed to taste the competing chili. If chili isn’t your thing though, there’ll be other food options as well at the local restaurants and food vendors to grab a bite at. And while you’re trying your best not to fart directly in some kid’s face, you can take a little pride that your gas is the result of supporting the maintenance of Cabbage Town community parks.
The Specs
- An estimated 30,000 people attended last year.
- Spoons for the chili cookout cost around 10$ but aren’t required for entry.
- Here’s our guide to Atlanta.
FAQs
What is the closest airport to the Chomp and Stomp Festival?
Cabbage Town is under 11 miles away from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Do they have a bag policy?
Because the festival is an open air neighborhood event their doesn’t seem to be many rules or regulations on bags.
Which artists are on the Chomp and Stomp Festival lineup?
The lineup has not been released at the time of this writing.
