ST JOSEPH, Mich. --Visitors can find over twenty ways of chasing away the chill in the return of the annual Chili Tour on January 27.

The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. and end at 8:00 p.m. in downtown St. Joe, with merchants and restaurants offering samples from their favorite chili recipes.

They hope those samples will earn the People's Choice Award, determined by popular vote or the Chili Pepper Award, which will be determined by a panel of judges.

"There is a fee of $5 per map which lists the participating locations and doubles as your voting ballot," said executive director of St. Joe Today, Amy Zapal. "A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Benton harbor Soup Kitchen."

Friday, January 27 is when the Chili Pepper Award will be announced, and Monday, January 30 is when the People's Choice Award winner be get announced.

Beginning Friday, January 27 at 12:00 p.m., Chili Tour Maps will be available for purchase, located at the St. Joe Today Welcome Center at 301 State Street in downtown St. Joe.

Attendees of the event are encouraged to turn in their maps to vote for their favorite chili at the end of the night, and to be entered in a drawing for a $25 St. Joe Today Gift Certificate, which is good at over 80 locations.

The winner will get notified on Monday, January 30.

You can find out more about the Chili Tour by visiting stjoetodya.com/chili.