Chili-Fest 2025!

Get your teams together, decide your recipe & get registered! Team Entry is FREE!

Let's Make this another Great Event - as always, proceeds go to Rock for Tot's, ice cold Adult Beverages and Pepsi products will be available for purchase as well!

In addition to samples of the teams chili this year we will have a few food vendors present for some additional food options! After the winners are announced, we will stick around with the food vendors, beer trailer & keep the music going on the stage into the evening!

Teams will be cooking by 9:00 am - Opens to the Public at 12:00 pm - Event Entry for patrons is $5 each for all the chili you can eat from all the booths & kids under 12 are free.

COOKING DETAILS:

Four team members that will be cooking chili for the patrons that will enter Chili-Fest and also for our judges panel. There are awards given for Judges Favorite, People's Choice & Best Booth.

Get creative - pick a theme, promote a business or organization, this is great for team building! Or get the family together to make your families recipe! Anyone you know have a great chili recipe? It's a great time.

All proceeds from Chili-Fest have always, and still do, go to Rock for Tots. A local organization that funds efforts for many of our local children to have a Christmas.

FAQs

How many people are on a team?

4 people per team

What are the teams responsibilities?

Teams will be responsible for making at least 10 gallons of chili and serving it to the patrons who attend Chili-Fest. Teams are responsible for keeping their areas clean, using safe-handling food practices per the Ross County Health Department. Each team must have a thermometer for their chili to maintain a temp for safe handling and an on-site inspection will be done during the event by the Ross Co. Health Department.

How much space will we have?

Each team is given a parking space to set up their booth. We highly recommend you have a tent, or two, to cover up your cooking space, create a place for your team to hang out as well as a few tables for prep and presentation.

When can we set up?

The street is legally closed at 6:30 am but if the space you want doesn't have a car in it and you want to claim your spot earlier, that is fine too. We have had people down there in camp chairs when we arrive waiting on their team to show up. We do suggest no later than 8 am - booth set up can take some work and you need to begin cooking at 9 am.

When can we start cooking?

Cooking will begin at 9 am - we will come around to each booth to answer questions before that. Chili-Fest gates open at 12 pm so you must be ready to serve by then.

How much Chili do we cook?

Each team has to make a minimum of 10 gallons of chili -

- Teams in the General Division all ingredients must be cooked and prepared on-site in accordance with the health department rules.

- Restaurant Division is permitted to prepare their chili in their Health Department approved commercial cooking spaces

What will the event provide each team?

We will provide each team with all the spoons and bowls to serve your chili to the crowd in and will also provide a ladle to help provide consistent samples. Teams are responsible for all remaining items and ingredients to prepare their chili. HINT: Make sure you have a utensil long enough to stir the chili in the pot you have to cook in.

Is there electric provided?

No there is not. Teams use 'turkey fryer' stoves, camp stoves or grills that operate on propane.

Do you provide tables?

No we do not. Teams are responsible for all items for their booth. We award 'Best Booth' every year by a secret judge who is in the crowd - Get creative or just make it pretty - all kinds have won!

Clean Up

Each team is responsible for cleaning up their booth area. The city of Chillicothe lets us close the street for this event and we want to keep it that way. Just pick up after yourself and make sure at the end of the day the space is like you found it.

When is judging / What are the Categories?

Awards are given for People’s Choice, Judges Choice and also Best Booth.

We will collect anonymous samples of chili from each teams for the judge’s panel around 12:45 and the judging will commence close to 1 pm.

People’s Choice tickets will be given to all the patrons and they will give them to the booth who's chili they like the best. Each team collects them throughout the day from patrons who thinks their chili is the best..

Those will be collected and counted around 3:45 pm - We will give you bags to put them in but you are welcome to use buckets, baskets, or previous People's Choice trophies to hold them. Some teams even have a 'bell' or something to let everyone know someone thought their chili was the best!

Host or Publisher The Chillicothe Cigar Band