BELLEVILLE, Ill. (First Alert 4) - Fifty thousand people are expected to attend the 41st annual Belleville Chili Cook Off in downtown Belleville this year. It is considered the most anticipated and largest festival of the year in Belleville.

Maribeth Bendick is president and CEO of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the event.

“We just want it to continue to be a fun family event where people feel safe, and they’ll continue to make this their annual tradition.”

Police are stressing the city ordinances that apply to events like this:

No backpacks or large bags

No masks or face coverings

No hoods

As a precautionary measure, this year’s two-day event will end at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. as in previous years. Also, police will be using a drone to monitor the crowd

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