The temperature may be dropping, but locals can warm up at the Mooresville Great Chili Cook Off on Oct. 1.
Presented by the community’s four Rotary clubs, the event will be from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Mooresville Town Square shopping center at Williamson and Brawley School roads. Admission is $10, including chili tastings, entertainment and children’s games.
“This is our third year, and we originally formed this event because the four rotary clubs (Mooresville, Top of The Lake, Mooresville-Lake Norman and Troutman) wanted to collaborate and form a signature event that would raise money for local charities,” said Eric Hutchby, board member for the Mooresville-Lake Norman Rotary Club.
“It’s gotten a great response and the Cook Off is really building on itself. Last year we had somewhere between 1,200 and 1,400 people and we hope to double that this year.”
When the event was first in its planning stages, Hutchby said they heard Atlanta has a similar event that sold 14,000 tickets and more than 300 types of chili.
“Our goal is to get there eventually, so we can offer a bigger variety of chili, larger prizes and make it the event to go to in the fall,” he said.
Hutchby said to expect an “energetic, warm atmosphere with lots of chili to taste.”
“Budweiser is one of our key sponsors, and they’ll have Darrell Harwood and The Cool Water Band playing pretty much the entire time,” he said. “They’re a great rockabilly band that I think everyone will love. We’ll also be packed full of vendors, chili cookers and we’ll have plenty of kid’s activities. Weather permitting, we’ll have the Re/Max balloon on site and will be giving tethered balloon rides.”
Patrons at the Cook Off will also have a chance to enter a raffle for a five day, four night stay in a Key West waterfront condominium or one week accommodations in a
Sugar Mountain mountainside condominium.
This year, the competition has changed a little, and chili cookers will be divided into two categories.
“We’ll have the hometown cookers division, which is for anyone, that will compete for cash prizes, and we’ll also have a restaurant division for professionals to gain bragging rights,” said Hutchby. First place in the hometown division wins $500, second place gets $300 and third place earns $100.
Proceeds from the Cook Off will benefit the four local Rotary Clubs, Health Reach Community Clinic, SCAN and the Mooresville Soup Kitchen.
“We have a steering committee and chose the charities through applications based on need,” said Hutchby. “We usually raise between $10,000 and $15,000, but our goal this year is $25,000 to $30,000. Eventually, we’d love to be able to get to $100,000 for these charities as the event grows.”
He said the organizers were just a “group of volunteers that wanted to create a town event that everyone could get behind.”
“If you come to this event, you’ll help to feed the poor, put clothes on your neighbor’s back and assist people without insurance, not to mention the laundry list of charities the Rotary Club supports,” Hutchby said. “Plus, the Cook Off is a lot of fun, with a great band and good chili.”
A rain date for the event is Oct. 8. For more information, visit http://www.thegreatchilicookoff.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement