Empire and Glen Arbor are the places to be in the county this weekend.

The 25th annual Empire Winterfest includes a pool tournament Friday, children’s games and the Polar Bear Dip Saturday, and a pancake breakfast Sunday.

Glen Arbor, meanwhile, will host the annual Chili Cook Off and Perch Ice Fishing Contest Saturday. The perch fishing contest runs from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is restricted to fish caught on Little or Big Glen lakes. Entry forms are available at The Sportsman Shop in Glen Arbor or can be printed off from the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce’s website, www.visitglenarbor.com. Forms must be turned prior to start of the contest. It costs $10 per person to participate, and the first-place winner receives 50 percent of the total entry fees.

Entry forms for the Chili Cook Off were due Feb. 5 either through the mail or by being dropped off at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor. However, Bonnie Nescott of the Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce said late entries will be accepted through Friday at Art’s. This year, the tavern crew is cooking up some 60 pounds of beef for 16 gallons of chili as one of the contest entrants.

Last year, the chamber-sponsored event attracted some 550 “judges” who voted for their favorite chili. Teams will compete in either the traditional (with beef) and non-traditional categories. Each entrant must bring at least eight gallons and provide gas heaters for the chili. Participants are encouraged to dress with colorful or interesting apparel, and be active in recruiting tasters. Net proceeds from the event will support the chamber’s scholarship fund.

At the Empire Winterfest, longtime community supporter Mary-Kate Chalup – who died last month – will be recognized for her support in the event. Chalup, along with her husband Jeff, had taken on the role of head organizer for community events like Winterfest and Anchor Days.

Phil Deering along with other community members helped pick up the slack for this year’s event. To commemorate Chalup’s involvement in the community, a soup dinner benefit will be held in the township hall on Front Street Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. Deering said the dinner is a fundraising event to help the Chalup family cover medical expenses incurred during Mary-Kate’s hospital stay.

Winterfest events start at 7 p.m. Friday with a pool tournament sponsored by the Empire Eagles Aerie No. 4404 at the Village Inn. Team registration will begin prior to the start of the matches. Also Friday night, Deering said there will be ice skating, a bonfire and hot chocolate served at South Bar Lake.

On Saturday, children’s games begin at 1 p.m. on South Bar Lake. At 2 p.m., the seminal Winterfest event – the Polar Bear Dip – begins when people jump into the icy waters of South Bar. A section of ice will be cut out to accommodate the dippers.

“If we have the kind of weather we are having today (Monday), sunny, not too cold, we should get at least 50 people to join in,” he said. In last year’s dip, 57 people braved the frigid waters of Lake Michigan since the ice was too thin on South Bar. Deering encouraged participants and watchers to get there before 2 p.m. “We start right at 2, so don’t dawdle,” he said.

After the dip, curling and ice bowling will take place on the lake leading up to the soup dinner.

On Sunday, the Empire Lions Club will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast in the township hall from 8 a.m. to noon. The cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children 7-12, with those six and younger eating free. Proceeds are used for the club’s local and national projects.

Visit www.empirechamber.com for more information about the events.