The 2025 Community Chill Night is DIY Lowell’s seventh annual chili and stew cook-off event! Experience music, games, community awards, and a DIY “Chilly” Dessert fun for everyone!
Our goal is to build community in Lowell by bringing together young people and elders, downtown and neighborhoods, townies and newcomers. This annual fundraiser celebrates the projects and events that have activated our underused spaces, brought diverse populations together, and made Lowell better.
Our theme this year is Bold Bites, Bright Future. We’re introducing a new award for chili or stew by a young person or youth group, we’re highlighting all that young people are doing in our community, and we’re thinking about how to make Lowell’s future even brighter.
SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST: TBD!
The event is Friday, March 21, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Taffeta Music Hall (Western Avenue Studios, 110 Western Ave, Lowell, MA 01851).
Use the button below to buy tickets and RSVP/pre-register for the event.
If you prefer to pay cash, you may donate at the door. In that case, feel free to email us at info@diylowell.org to let us know you’re coming and spread the word on our Facebook event!
Suggested donation of $10 per attendee in Advance, $15 the day of, and 18 and under $8. Prices are suggested donations, so donate as much or as little as you can–nobody will be turned away! If you pre-register, please let us know at the door the day of the event.
Community Honorees
Community Transformation Award
The Community Transformation Award goes to a group that changes public space for the better through programs or improvements. Community Connections is a group to connect young people to the Lowell community through volunteering, and they’ve done amazing things in the last year! This includes a 3 on 3 basketball tournament in Gage Park demonstrating the power of community-led action to transform underutilized public spaces; a stunning Salsa dance mural on a sidewalk alongside a local artist; participated in a Roe vs. Wade rally; helped with a flag-raising and Winterfest; and so, so, much more. These young men and women of Lowell show that young people lead in creating and enhancing public spaces!
Volunteer of the Year
Sreyvan Nget was chosen as the person who most exemplified volunteer service in Lowell over the last year! We can’t say it better than one of her multiple nominators: “Sreyvan volunteers for multiple organizations in the community, including Lowell Alliance’s Diaper Bank, Coalition for a Better Acre, Catholic Charities food pantry, Dwelling House of Hope, Mill City Grows, and Lowell Public Schools… She also serves on the Advisory Board of DIY Lowell, the Board of Citizens for Public Schools, Solidarity Lowell’s Coordinating Committee, GLCF’s LHS Scholarship Selection Committee and is a member of the Lowell Emergency Housing Coalition and the Lowell Education Justice Alliance. She cares deeply about the community and especially wants to help disadvantaged residents.
As an immigrant who herself struggled when she first came to this country, Sreyvan is able to connect on a personal level with the people she helps. She always has a positive “can-do” attitude, which is essential in the sometimes stressful nonprofit environment. About her volunteer work she says “I know people are having a hard time, I understand how people suffer, and I always try to cheer them up…it makes my heart feel good.”
Chilis and Stews
Youth
- YouthBuild at Community Teamwork – Spicy Hot Wing Chili
- UTEC – Madd Love Chili
Amateur
- Amy Telles – Poblano Corn Chowder with Bacon (Vegan also available)
- Crissy Barbosa/Nails by Christina – Buffalo Chicken Chili
- Andy Bergamini – Spicy Pasta e’ Fragioli
- Bad*ss B*tches – Guajillo Turkey Chili
- Maria Dickinson – Chicken and Lentils Stew
- Alex Gouvin-Moffat – Smoky Black Bean Chili
- Chris Corrente – Bayoux Roux: Shrimp & Sausage Creole
- Mark Goldwater – Firehouse Chili Gumbo
- Ethan Yang, Dawn Cheung & Abigail – Abi’s Dessert Soup (Chinese “Eight Treasure” Multi-Grain Sweet Porridge)
- Leakana Sok – Kaw Sach Chrouk (Braised Pork Belly)
Professional
- Craic Sauce – Merrimack Black Chili
- Fork Included – Somlor Kako (Cambodian Vegetable Soup)
- Lowell Senior Center – TBD
- Riverbend – Recovery Red Chili
We’re inviting amateurs and professionals, individuals and groups, adult and youth, to bring traditional or nontraditional tex-mex chili or a spicy stew of their culture. Participants sample the chili and stew and vote on their favorite, with the winners getting gift cards and plaudits.
Categories include Best Chili or Stew from a Professional, Best Chili or Stew from an Amateur, Favorite Traditional Cultural Stew, and Best Young Contestant/Youth Group.
Get a VIP Table or Become a Sponsor
We have special sponsorship packages for $100 to $1,000. Special perks for being a sponsor include VIP treatment for your organization, a banner at the event, and promotion on social media and on our mailing list.
Even if you aren’t from an organization, a donation would be a big help! After a year of Strategic Planning with our Advisory Committee, we’re kicking off a new era of DIY Lowell and raising funds to move our three-year plan forward to make sure DIY Lowell sticks around for the long term. Donations big and small will help us reach our goal.
Email info@diylowell.org with expressions of interest.
Volunteer to Help Out
We need help setting up activities, counting chili ballots, scooping ice cream, and more! Please consider helping us out on March 21. Click on the button for a form with all volunteer opportunities.
Photos by Britt Boughner and DIY Lowell
