The 2026 Community Chill Night is DIY Lowell’s eighth 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 folks together, and made Lowell better.
Our theme this year is Celebrating 200 Years of Community, 200 Years of Lowell. We’re celebrating Lowell’s Bicentennial by focusing on the community that’s made it special for the last 200 years. Expect stories, decorations, and activities that honor that history while looking toward our future!
SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST: TBD!
The event is Friday, April 10, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Overlook (Lowell Community Charter Public School, 250 Jackson Street).
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
We need nominations for people and groups you think have made a difference in making Lowell’s public spaces more vibrant, exciting, kid-friendly, colorful, walkable, or better! All nominees will get a mention in our award ceremony, a citation from the Mayor, and winners will get a giftcard for individual and 10 volunteer hours for a group!
Submit a Chili or Stew Entry
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. Historic photos courtesy Lowell Historical Society (Barnum and Bailey Circus, 1893), Lowell Historic Board (Military Corps Parade, 1888; Ladies at Fort Hill, 1923; Christmas Parade, 1949; Feast of Our Lady, 1987), and Lowell Folklife Project (Skateboarders, 1988).
