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As the Lentil Capital of the World, the city of Pullman, the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, and Washington State University present the 28th Annual National Lentil Festival.

“It serves as a really good end of summer celebration as well as a welcoming for the students, especially the freshmen who are maybe a little bit uneasy being in a different place,” National Lentil Festival Director Alexandria Anderson said.

The festival will kick off at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19 with the world’s largest bowl of lentil chili that will be served from a 400 gallon bowl for free until 7 p.m.

Live musicians will play throughout the majority of the festival, beginning with Redwood Son at 6:45 p.m. Friday, followed by Rust on the Rails and Eclectic Approach.

“I’m really excited about the music, Anderson said. “This year’s headliner is going to be amazing. I would definitely say that it’s the biggest act that we’ve ever had at Lentil Festival.”

Saturday’s musical festivities will feature Dylan Jakobsen at noon, followed by Old Southern Moonshine Revival and Love and Theft.

“Friday tends to be a little bit more rock, and Saturday tends to be a little more pop-country,” Anderson said.

In addition, there will be live cooking demonstrations throughout the festival at Reaney Park featuring a line-up of chefs. The National Lentil Festival is also home the 22nd Annual Legendary Lentil Cook-Off, presenting the five finalists selected by food experts to cook their submitted dishes in front of judges at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The first place prize for this event is $2000.

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The Lentil Cook-Off is not the only competition during this year’s festival. On the National Lentil Festival website, contestants are able to submit their stories about Tase T. Lentil for a chance to win $300. In addition, the Lentil Festival will host a Snapchat Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win $500. Details about this competition will be posted on the National Lentil Festival’s Facebook page on Friday, Aug. 12.

“We’re really hoping to bring some more students down from the hill to the event on Saturday because of the easy-to-win cash prizes,” Anderson said.

The WSECU (Washington State Employees Credit Union) Grand Parade will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, beginning with the Little Lentil Sprout Parade, allowing time for kids to walk through the parade.

“The parade has a lot to offer, especially for families,” Anderson said. “It’s a really great opportunity for families to get down there and interact with the rest of the community. It brings everyone together.”

The festival will also feature a pedal-powered smoothie bike presented by Moscow Food Co Op in the AG Corner for festival-goers to pedal their way to a blueberry smoothie.

The National Lentil Festival is also partnering with Feeding Children Everywhere for the second year in a row to package 25,000 meals to be donated to locals in need.

For those on the go, there will be a variety of sporting events during the festival, from the Tase T. Lentil 5K Fun Run to a 3 on 3 basketball contest hosted by Snap Fitness and the YMCA of the Palouse. The Tour de Lentil Bike Ride is returning this year with three distances for participants to choose from: 50km, 100km or 150km.

The National Lentil Festival 2016 will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, in Reaney Park. Admission is free and open to the public.

“It’s a really big production for our area, and it brings great economic growth as well as an awesome sense of community,” Anderson said.