The yearly Lentil Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday on Olson Street in downtown Pullman. A two-day festival celebrating lentils has gotten bigger every year, attempting to link WSU to the community. “Part of it is to kick off the university starting,” said Fritz Hughes, executive director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce. “It’s an event that bridges the gap between the university and community, and brings students into the town.” Last year the festival brought more than 20,000 people in, Festival Director Nicole Flansburg said. “It’s fun, it’s fulfilling and it’s amazing how far it’s come,” Flansburg said. This year is going to be larger because it is a political year, Hughes said. Having been an event for 18 years, the Lentil Festival has gotten bigger and better every year, Flansburg said. Something new that is meant to draw students into local businesses is Pullman Business Bingo, thought up by Luke Jones of WSU’s New Student Programs, Hughes said. By playing, students get the chance to win prizes provided by the businesses, including scholarships for textbooks and other gifts, Flansburg said.

To play, students go to participating businesses and pick up a bingo card that has about 30 businesses listed in squares, Flansburg said. After getting two bingos by going to businesses, students can drop their cards into drop boxes for a drawing held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Reaney Park. Drop boxes are located at the downtown Daily Grind, Crimson & Gray and The Bookie, Flansburg said. “The businesses are really excited about it,” she said. “We’ll give this a whirl and see how it goes.” Other attractions to the Lentil Festival include more than 200 gallons of free chili, the Lentil Cook-off and other entertainment, Hughes said. “[The free chili is] usually gone within about an hour and half,” he said.

Flansburg said they run out of chili every year and suggested that individuals wanting to taste some get to the event early. Some new events this year include a dunk tank provided by the Pullman Fire Department, where people can pay to dunk their favorite police officer or whoever is in the hot seat, Flansburg said. A Kiddie Carnival will also add to the family-friendliness of the event, she said. “There’s something there for everyone,” Flansburg said. Saturday will be all about the lentils, with the Lentil Cook-off featuring a $1,000 prize to the first-place winner, Hughes said. Recipes for the event came in from all over the world and the more than 90 recipes have been narrowed down to six finalists, which can be tested by individuals in the park, Hughes said. Flansburg said the whole Lentil Festival is meant to focus on a unique aspect of the area and celebrate it. The lentil is a very important legume produced on about 12 million to 15 million acres worldwide, and about 80,000 acres of the total 150,000 acres of lentils in the U.S. are grown in the Palouse, said Fred Muehlbauer, a research geneticist and plant breeder in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. “We are a top producer of lentils in the nation,” Flansburg said. “It’s kind of quirky when you think about it, but it’s amazing what the lentil has done for this area.”