The Rye Chamber of Commerce has scrapped its long-running Mistletoe Magic program and will run its 12th annual Chili Cook-Off and a new Holiday Stroll as separate events this fall.

The Chili Cook-Off, which for years was bundled into the post-Thanksgiving Mistletoe Magic celebration, will now stand on its own.

The cook-off is set for Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Rye Recreation building on Midland Avenue. Proceeds benefit the Rye Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to local high school seniors.

Mistletoe Magic didn't attract enough merchant support to take place in 2025, the Rye Record reported Friday, Aug. 28.

The Chamber moved on. Rather than try to revive the program, the organization decided to build on a newer event called the Holiday Stroll, which debuted last year.

The 2026 Holiday Stroll is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, Nov. 19. An organizing committee led by Chamber Co-President Dabney Lee Woglom is still working out the program's details.

Woglom described the event as one that would "celebrate the charm of downtown Rye with shopping, dining, entertainment and community."

The Holiday Stroll's date changed since spring. A Rye City Council agenda from May 6 listed a Chamber street-use request for Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., running from Village Green to Purdy Avenue.

That filing described the event as "formerly Mistletoe Magic." The more recent Rye Record report places the stroll on Nov. 19, a Thursday evening.

The street-use request also noted the Chamber would need the Village Green parking lot for setup and food trucks.

The Chamber has not confirmed a registration deadline for the Oct. 4 Chili Cook-Off or released the Holiday Stroll's final program.