Even in the aftermath of a white March blizzard, the Wishek Association of Commerce is thinking green.

There’s an interesting mix of ethnicities being celebrated as a bunch of Germans From Russia launch the annual Irish St. Patricks’s Day celebration with a Southwestern-style chili cook-off on Friday.

It’s the first of a series of annual events to be hosted in 2018 by the Association.

A dozen businesses will be vying for the honor of best chili. People will get to taste and vote for the best one at the Wishek American Legion from 5-7 p.m. It’s family-friendly. A kids coloring contest, with entries on display, will also be judged by the general public.

After the chili cook off, there will be a bar run in Wishek with two local watering holes hosting games. Team registration takes place at 7:45 p.m. at the Big Screen Bar, and the event kicks off at 8 p.m. The Lariat Lounge is also participating.