ALTON - Community members can stop by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church before the 108th Alton Halloween Parade to enjoy a chili supper.
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From 5–7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, the Episcopal Parish of Alton will host their annual chili fundraiser for the church. It costs $10 for adults or $5 for children under age 10, and you can choose between a bowl of chili, a hot dog, or a chili dog, and also enjoy a piece of homemade pie and a drink.
“It is something we look forward to every year. It’s just a great event,” said Jeany Downey, one of the organizers. “Get warm inside. And, I think, get warm outside, because if it’s a nice evening, we hope to have a firepit in our garden where people, after they enjoy their chili, can come out to the garden and stand around a firepit waiting for the parade, maybe have a glass of hot cider, just enjoy the evening.”
The parade starts at 7 p.m. and will draw hundreds of people to downtown Alton. Downey and Irene McLaughlin encourage folks to stop by the church first to enjoy a hot meal with the community.
They shared that the Episcopal Parish of Alton has hosted the chili supper fundraiser for at least 40 years on Halloween night, and they’re excited to continue the tradition.
The “melting pot chili” recipe invites parishioners to make their own chili, which is then combined in a big pot to create a new recipe. Not only does this encourage everyone to contribute, but it also results in a unique taste that everyone can enjoy.
“It always comes out delicious,” Downey said.
The money raised through the chili supper will go toward the parish’s outreach efforts and any repairs needed for the historic church. As one of the oldest churches in Alton, St. Paul’s maintenance can be costly. The fundraiser aims to offset these costs while also helping community members and organizations.
“We’ve always taken care of the nursery,” McLaughlin explained. “We do outreach. We’ve done stuff for Oasis Women’s Center and Crisis Food Center, different things. At Christmas time, we usually try to do some kind of outreach program as well. And then if there are things around the church that are needed, we always help out with that. Downey and McLaughlin encourage people to stop by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 10 E. 3rd Street in Alton on Halloween night to support their efforts and enjoy an evening of community before the parade. They highlighted the church’s accessibility and the parish’s focus on helping others.
They also emphasized that the supper is “an enjoyable evening” for all. As St. Paul’s prepares to celebrate its 190th anniversary in 2026, the church invites more people to join and engage with its events.
“We enjoy being with each other. All of us who go to the church and our activities, it’s a great community. We’re open and welcome and invite everyone to come join us,” Downey added. “It’s just good to bring the community in so that they can see what’s going on at our church. We are very busy. We have lots of outreach, and we’re always doing something.”
For more information about the Episcopal Parish of Alton, including upcoming events, visit their official Facebook page or their official website at EpiscopalAlton.org. To learn more about the chili supper, click here.
