Eat some chili and help a good cause

The second annual Chili Cook-Off benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will take place on Friday, Jan. 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines. Anyone is welcome to enter and compete against local and amateur chefs — $35 (chili contest), $10 (cornbread contest) or $40 to enter both — to win the People’s Choice Jacket. Admission is $10, and all attendees will be able to sample the chili and enjoy some local micro-brew samples from Doll Distributing. There will also be a silent auction and live music.

Battle at the Barn IV

Battle at the Barn IV takes place on Friday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Iowa State Fair Jacobson Exhibition Center. Racers will compete with a variety of vehicles including go-karts, four wheelers, motorcycles, golf carts and lawn mowers. Friday is practice night from 6 to 10 p.m. ($5 grandstand admission), with the races starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by feature events at 7 p.m. A two-day pit pass is $35 or $20 per day. Admission is $13 and free for kids 10 and under. For more information, visit http://www.battleatthebarn.com.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year

The Chinese Association of Iowa and AIB College of Business present the 2012 Chinese New Year Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the AIB College of Business Activity Center, 2500 Fleur Drive. Celebrating the year of the Dragon, the free event will focus on Chinese heritages and cultures, featuring cultural demonstrations, music, dancing, art, children’s activities and a wide variety of food. For more information, visit http://www.iowachinese.org.

Hear the soothing sounds of Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow, member of the legendary trio Peter, Paul and Mary, will be performing solo at the Civic Center’s Temple Theater, 10th & Locust Street, on Tuesday, Jan. 24 starting at 7:30 p.m. Yarrow is a gifted songwriter producing such hits as “Puff, the Magic Dragon” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” His solo performance will allow fans to experience Yarrow’s music unlike ever before in this rare, intimate setting. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $45. For more information, visit http://www.civiccenter.org. CV

Send news of your upcoming events, noble, nefarious or lost causes; as well as generally weird happenings to matt@dmcityview.com.