The annual Chili Cook-Off and Bloody Mary Contest returns Saturday for Snowdown. Organizer Greg Yucha said the fundraiser is one of the longest running events of Durango’s winter festival and is one of the largest cook-offs in the area.
Held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Event Center, attendees ate 150 gallons of chili last year in less than two hours while helping raise more than $8,000 for Animas High School. While professional chefs and restaurants can participate, Yucha said home cooks generally win, and the main focus is community building and fundraising.
If you go
What: Chili Cook-off and Bloody Mary Contest
When: Noon to 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: La Plata County Fairgrounds and Event Center, 2500 Main Ave.
Cost: Free to enter, $1 to $2 per sample
More information: snowdown.org/pages/chili-bloody-mary-contest
“Habitat for Humanity has nothing to do with cooking chili, but their group down every year, and they seem to have a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “It’s open to everybody.”
Chili and Bloody Marys are served simultaneously, with attendees paying $1 per chili taster and $2 per cocktail sample. Scoring is split into judges’ and peoples’ choices. There are a total of five categories – traditional red chili, homestyle red chili, vegetarian chili, green chili and salsa – for the cook-off, but the public only votes on two of them: green and red chilis.
The Bloody Mary contest is set up similarly, with judges and the public voting on their respective best overall cocktail, and four additional categories – spiciest, best garnish, best costume and most unique – decided by judges.
While the event is scored, Yucha said the competition is friendly in nature with an emphasis on fun.
“We’re always looking for new cooks. Come on down and have fun,” he said. “This is not a super competitive event, and we just want to make it open to all community members, restaurant people, businesses and groups.”
That doesn’t mean it’s easy though, as the organizer said he often hears locals boast of their abilities, and he encourages them to put their chili where their mouth is.
“I hear from people all over town that they make a great chili, and they can come down and do it, and their chili would win,” he said. “It’s not as easy as you think. … These cooks work pretty hard.”
Yucha, host of the Chili Cook-Off and Bloody Mary Contest for 15 years and a participant for a decade before that, said those unfamiliar with the event should show up early and not be afraid of lines. Samples for the public are available from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. There’s usually a longer wait at the beginning, but it only takes about five minutes to get everyone through the doors.
“Get there early, and don’t be afraid of a long line. This is not a ticketed event. You buy the tickets per sample, so this is not like the Dos and Donts of the follies that are going to sell out with tickets,” he said. “Anyone willing to wait in line is going to get in.”
Tickets are available at the door on the day of the event and during a presale at El Rancho Tavern from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday. For those looking to participate, registration is still open. Yucha said teams can technically sign up the morning of the event but prefers to have registration done by 9 a.m. Friday.
sbeckwith@durangoherald.com
