Bluegrass & Chili Festival

09/16/2026

09/13/2026

THAT’S A WRAP ON THE 46TH ANNUAL BLUEGRASS & CHILI FESTIVAL!

What a weekend! ❤️

From incredible Bluegrass and live music to award-winning chili, classic cars, family fun, vendors, and everything in between — Downtown Tahlequah was the place to be!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s festival such a success:

❤️ Our amazing sponsors and community partners
🎶 All of the incredible musicians and performers
🌶️ Our talented chili cooks
🚗 Car, motorcycle, and tractor show exhibitors
🛍️ Vendors and local businesses
🐾 Chili Dog Derby racers
🙌 All of our volunteers and hardworking festival crew
🎉 And YOU — everyone who came out and celebrated with us!

We’re so grateful for the support that makes this festival possible year after year. 46 years of Bluegrass, chili, and community is something pretty special. ❤️

Here are just a few snapshots from an unforgettable weekend! 📸✨

And don’t worry… MORE PICTURES ARE COMING! We have plenty more memories to share!

Thank you, Tahlequah, and thank you to everyone who traveled from near and far to celebrate with us.

Until next year… 🪕🌶️❤️

09/12/2026

Thanks to Big Country 99.5 for coming out and the Jim Hoot Owl Jefferies for emcee duties today! We SO appreciate their sponsorship over all these years.

09/12/2026

🎻🌶️ DAY TWO IS HERE! 🌶️🎻

What a fantastic first day of the 46th Annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival! Thank you to everyone who came out, enjoyed the music, visited our vendors, and helped us kick off an incredible weekend in Downtown Tahlequah!

And guess what? We’re doing it all again TODAY! 🎉

Here are some Saturday highlights you won’t want to miss:

🎻 BLUEGRASS & LIVE MUSIC ALL DAY
10:00 AM — Mountain Heirs
10:45 AM — SpringStreet
11:30 AM — LandRun
12:15 PM — Roving Gambler Band
1:00 PM — The Horn Family
2:00 PM — U.S. Navy Band Country Current
3:00 PM — Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
4:00 PM — Edgar Loudermilk Band
6:00 PM — East Nash Grass
7:00 PM — Volume Five
8:00 PM — Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

Plus music happening throughout the day on the Tahlequah and Community Stages! See the full schedule at www.bluegrasschilifest.com/schedule.

🌶️ CHILI COOK-OFF
11:00 AM — Preparation begins
12:15 PM — Light your fires! 🔥
2:00 PM — Tasting kits go on sale
4:00–4:15 PM — Chili Tasting
6:00 PM — Chili Cook-Off Awards 🏆

🚗 OPEN CAR & MOTORCYCLE SHOW
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
🏆 Awards at 4:45 PM

🌭 CHILI DOG DERBY — 1:00 PM
📍 Water Street

🎈 KIDDIE KORRAL
10:00 AM–9:00 PM
Crafts + inflatables + fun for the kids!

🚜 ANTIQUE TRACTOR DISPLAY
10:00 AM–10:00 PM

🛍️ FESTIVAL MARKET & FOOD VENDORS
10:00 AM–10:00 PM

🌟 YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR MARKET
10:00 AM–12:00 PM

🎤 JUNIOR SHOWCASE
2:00 PM on the Community Stage

And there’s SO much more happening across Downtown Tahlequah all day long!

🪑 Remember: the shows are FREE! Bring your lawn chair and come spend another great day with us.

We’ll see you downtown for Day TWO! 🎉

09/11/2026

🎻🌶️ TODAY AT THE BLUEGRASS & CHILI FESTIVAL! 🌶️🎻

IT’S HERE! 🎉 The 46th Annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival kicks off TODAY in Downtown Tahlequah, and we’ve got an incredible lineup of music, food, family fun, and more!

Here’s what’s happening TODAY, Friday, September 11:

🎶 CHEROKEE SQUARE STAGE
5:00 PM — SpringStreet
6:00 PM — Heartland Xpress
6:50 PM — Mayor Myers Presentation
7:00 PM — U.S. Navy Band Country Current
8:30 PM — RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER ⭐🎻

🎶 TAHLEQUAH STAGE
6:30 PM — Edgar Loudermilk Band
7:30 PM — Izzy Luttrell
8:30 PM — NineOne8Trackers

🎶 COMMUNITY STAGE
6:00 PM — Victory Road
6:45 PM — Harmony Hollow
7:30 PM — Tallgrass Tradition
8:30 PM — Pickers Open Jam

🌶️🎪 FESTIVAL GROUNDS — 2:00–10:00 PM
🌮 Food Vendors
🛍️ Festival Street Market
🎨 Kiddie Korral Craft Tent
🎈 Inflatables
🚜 Antique Tractor Display

And of course… tonight’s BIG SHOW! ⭐

RICKY SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER take the Cherokee Square Stage at 8:30 PM! 🎻🔥

Best of all, the shows are FREE! Bring your lawn chair, grab your friends and family, and come enjoy an unforgettable night in Downtown Tahlequah.

📍 Downtown Tahlequah, Oklahoma
📅 TODAY — Friday, September 11
⏰ Festival grounds open at 2:00 PM

Come hungry. Come ready to listen. Come ready to have some fun. ❤️🌶️🎻

WE’LL SEE YOU DOWNTOWN TAHLEQUAH! 🎉

09/07/2026

🌶️🎶 TAKE HOME A LITTLE PIECE OF THE FESTIVAL! 🎶🌶️

Looking for the perfect Blue Grass & Chili Festival souvenir? We’ve got you covered! 🤠✨

👕 Festival T-Shirts — $20
🧢 Festival Hats — $20
🌶️ Festival Stickers — $3 each or $10 for a set of 5

Grab your favorite festival gear while you’re here and take home a little piece of the Blue Grass & Chili Festival! 💙

📍 Be sure to stop by the Festival Info Booth during the festival to shop! 🛍️

09/06/2026

🌶️🎶 6 DAYS UNTIL THE BLUE GRASS & CHILI FESTIVAL! 🎶🌶️

The countdown is on, and we can’t wait to see everyone in just 6 days! 🤠

Getting ready for the big weekend? We’ve got you covered! Check out the music schedule 🎶 to plan which artists you want to see and the festival map 🗺️ to find your way around once you arrive.

Grab your friends and family and get ready for a weekend full of great music, delicious chili, and plenty of fun! 🌶️💙

📅 6 days and counting… We’ll see you at the festival! 🎉

09/06/2026

Can’t wait to see Volume Five on our festival stage next Saturday, September 12th! It’s a FREE show, so bring your friends, grab a lawn chair and come on out. 🎶🪕

09/05/2026

Bring your best chili and join us for the Non-Profit Cook-Off or the Mid-America Regional Cook-Off! Show off your signature recipe, compete for bragging rights, and let us taste what you’ve got! 🔥

And don’t forget—the Non-Profit Cook-Off comes with an extra opportunity to make an impact! $1,000 will go to the nonprofit of the winner’s choice! ❤️

A huge thank-you to The Shockley Group Real Estate for matching our initial $500 prize and helping us increase it to $1,000!

🌶️ Spicy? Savory? Sweet? Packed with a secret ingredient? We want to taste it!

🔥 Bring the heat. Show us what you’ve got. 🔥

Get your entry in today!
https://tahlequahchamber.glueup.com/event/bluegrass-and-chili-festival-2026-chili-cook-off-registration-172426/