What to know
- Smoke’s Poutinerie’s annual Smoke-A-Palooza returns to Sankofa Square Saturday, featuring 10,000 free poutines and a fundraiser for Easter Seals Ontario.
- The event has raised more than $1 million over the years, with organizers hoping to add another $50,000 this year.
- Top competitive eaters, including Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry, will compete, with Chestnut defending his record of eating 28 lbs of poutine in 10 minutes.
- The 12-hour event starts at 11 a.m. and will also feature an ’80s-themed entertainment lineup, including 80s Gone Wild and Destroyer.
If you’re a fan of both cheese curds and charity, one poutine-themed event in Toronto this weekend will surely have both your stomach and heart full.
Smoke’s Poutinerie’s annual Smoke-A-Palooza returns to Sankofa Square on Saturday, bringing back its iconic world poutine eating competition against the best of the best, while also handing out around 10,000 free poutines to Torontonians.
It’s an event that aims to raise money for children with what Smoke’s Poutinerie and WeCare call “disABILITIES,” allowing these kids to attend summer camps without barriers, through Easter Seals Ontario.
So far, the event has raised more than $1 million over the years.
Smoke’s Poutinerie’s CEO hopes to add to that number this year.
“We’ve set a goal of another $50,000 this year,” Mark Cunningham told Now Toronto. “We’ve raised to date $60,000 for this event on Saturday, so we’ll hopefully be about $1.1 million after 10 years.”
To help raise the money, competitive eaters from all over the world are set to face off in the afternoon.
Cunningham said the decision to include competitive eating was to help attract people to watch and donate.
“Obviously a big draw with having major league eaters here,” he said.
He added that the event had also been extended, allowing more fun and competition through the day.
“We expanded the event into a 12-hour Smoke-A-Palooza,” Cunningham said.
Ahead of the professionals eating competition, multiple food chain CEOs will also try their hand facing off during the Ryan Smolkin Memorial CEO Challenge.
“We only eat for two minutes versus the professionals are 10,” Cunningham explained. “It’s a fun event.”
Professional eater Joey Chestnut, who’s ranked number one in Major League Eating, will look to defend his title and protect his event record of consuming 28 lbs of poutine in just 10 minutes.
“We’re [going to] be pushing each other hard,” Chestnut said.
Alongside Chestnut, The Hungry Couple Nick Wehry and Miki Sudo will also be competing, hoping to snag the title from the world no. 1.
“This competition really draws like top tier talent. So, I’ll have my work cut out for me,” Sudo said. “It might come down to final ounces. I just know to run past that finish line with all that I’ve got.”
Following the competition, attendees can enjoy a line up of 80s-style live entertainment, including performances around the AC/DC Eras, tribute band 80s Gone Wild and the Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
For Chestnut, the Toronto event is ultimately about the friendly competition and enjoying the food along the way.
“I love every part of it,” he said.
Saturday’s Smoke-A-Palooza inside Sankofa Square begins at 11 a.m. and runs for 12 hours packed with food, music and laughs.
