Friday, April 8, 2011

"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder." -Anonymous

This weekend is one of the most anticipated weekends all year for the students of A&M. It’s finally time for Chilifest! Chilifest is a country music filled weekend with a chili cook-off contest that takes place in Snook, Texas and the proceeds go to charity. However, in most students’ eyes, it’s the drunkest weekend of the year. Beer flows freely all day and I’ve heard it be referred to as a “redneck’s Woodstock” by professors this year. With the mass quantities of alcohol available, it’s no surprise that one can find themselves in a lot of trouble Chilifest weekend. Last year, The Eagle reported that the police “made 41 arrests and 167 citations were issued” in relation to the two day festival.


People line up and camp a month before Chilifest for “team” signups which enable groups to have tents and participate on the first day (Friday night) of Chilifest and those with normal tickets can only participate one the second day of the two day party. Needless to say, it’s a huge deal in College Station and the police are in full force. They cover the festival grounds as well as make an extra effort to watch out for people driving under the influence.

Tips I’ve heard for staying safe and out of trouble at Chilifest are remaining in team tents while enjoying an adult beverage and never leaving a tent with a drink in hand if you do not have a 21 and up wristband on, and taking the shuttle from the Texas Hall of Fame to the grounds or arranging for a safe, sober ride to avoid putting people in danger from drunk driving. 

Those participating in Chilifest, whether of legal age or not, need to be responsible and exercise self control! As much fun as the weekend can be, people need to remember to be safe and drink responsibly! No one wants to endanger others and I’m sure no one wants a fine of $500 or more.

No comments:

Post a Comment