Downtown merchants in St. Joseph are scoffing at the winter cold with their “It’s Finally Friday” Chili Tour from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. More than a dozen locations will offer samples of their favorite chili recipes to visitors, extended hours and in-store specials.

“There’s a lot of competition heating up between the merchants to have the best chili recipe,” said Jill Stone, executive director, St. Joseph Today. “And there will be an incentive to taste them all, too. We’ll have Chili Stop maps at each of the locations, and if you complete the tour, you can enter your map at any one of the chili-serving locations and we’ll draw a winner for a downtown prize package.”

Chili Stop locations are:

The Buck

The Candlestick Maker

Eve

FuzzyButz Pet Bakery

HarborTown Interiors

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches

Lighthouse Fibers

Perennial Accents

Purely Michigan

Schaller Gallery

St. Joseph Today – Welcome Center

State Street Antiques

Sweet Seasons Orchard

Waterfront Framing