2016 Chili Cook-off set for Saturday, Oct. 8

Attention chili cooks and all lovers of good chili!

The Great Saturday Sampler Chili Cook-Off is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 around the Holton Town Square and will be held in conjunction with the Chamber’s Fall Fest activities planned for the same day.

The local chili cook-off has been a fun, fall tradition in the community since 1999. Except for one year (2014), there has been a chili cook-off on the Holton Town Square for the past 16 years.

The Holton Rotary Club started the chili cook-off as a community event in 1999. Since then, groups like the Friends of Downtown, the Holton/Jackson Chamber of Commerce and The Holton Recorder newspaper have all sponsored the event at one time or another.

The Recorder sponsored the event last year and will sponsor it again this year.

Last year, proceeds from the chili cook-off totaling $1,000 were donated to the Holton Fire Department.

This year, proceeds from the chili cook-off will be donated to the Banner Creek Science Center.

To further promote the science center on the day of the event, chili cooks this year are being asked to name their chili, and chili booths, using astronomy-related decorating themes and music.

It is also hoped that promotional materials about the activities offered at the science center, and displays explaining it, can be made available to chili tasters and other Fall Fest visitors to the Town Square on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Rules for the 2016 chili cook-off will be as follows:

*The cost to participate in the chili cook-off as an individual or team will be just $5 per individual or team.

*All chili cooks participating agree to be at their place around the Holton Town Square by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, with a minimum of two gallons of their chili.

*Chili cook-off participants are responsible for securing their own booth locations around the Town Square, along with electricity service. If assistance is needed, contact The Recorder at 364-3141.

*Chili cook-off participants can either prepare their chili at home and bring it to the Square on the day of the event, or prepare and cook their chili at their Town Square booth.

*The Holton Recorder will provide a team of judges for the chili cook-off.

*The chili tasting will start at 11 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.

*Photos of each chili booth will be taken by Recorder staff and published in the newspaper.

*A “Best Saturday Sampler Chili of 2016” cash prize of $50 will be awarded by the The Recorder.

*A “Best Chili Cook-off Booth of 2016 cash prize of $25 will be awarded by The Recorder.

*The general public is invited and encouraged to sample the chili and participate in selecting the “People’s Choice Award for Best Chili of 2016.”

*The Recorder will sell sets of “chili sampling cups” and spoons – based on the number of chili booths that day – for $5 per set of cups.

Last year, there were 15 chili booths, so one set of sampling cups (with spoon) consisted of 15 cups.

*People purchasing “chili sampling cups” will also be given one blue ticket to vote for their favorite chili and one red ticket to vote for their favorite designed chili booth. Voting will take place at the chili booths.

*The People’s Choice Award winner will be presented with a gift basket with items from local businesses.

*Larger bowls or containers of chili may purchased from any of the participating cooks, who will set their own prices for chili sold that day, preferably after the chili-tasting competition has been completed.

*To be a cook in the 2016 chili cook-off, call The Recorder now at 364-3141 or send an e-mail to holtonrecorder@giantcomm.net

Watch for more details about the 2016 chili cook-off in upcoming editions of The Recorder!

All businesses, churches, civic organizations, clubs, youth groups and individuals are all invited to participate as chili cook-off contestants.

If your mother makes the best chili on earth or in the Milky Way galaxy, enter it in the contest, too!