Chili cook-off this weekend
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Chili cooks from the area have a chance to test their mettle against some of the region's top specialists Saturday, April 26. The cook-off in Winchester Park in Chandler on FM 315 is part of the fourth annual "Play Day at the Park".

This event is part of a fundraiser for BMC and expansion of the concession stand at Winchester Park.

The cook-off, an official Chili Appreciation Society International sanctioned event, will feature cooks trying to earn points for advancement to the chili finals in Terlingua the first Saturday of November. CASI has over 10,000 cooks and promotes chili, helping to raise money for charity through the 600 cook-offs it holds both in the US and neighboring countries.

Registration begins at 8:30 am Saturday for CASI, People's Choice and Showmanship divisions. Turn-in will be at noon for bean entries and at 1 pm for CASI and People's Choice. In the CASI competition, judges will sample and vote for the best chili based on a variety of factors. First place is worth four points, second place is worth three and so on. Fifth place garners no points. A total of 12 points throughout the season will qualify a contestant for Terlingua.

In the People's Choice competition, the public votes on the chili. These votes are cast after people eat from tasting cups, which cost $3, or $2 for baseball players in uniform.

The chili cook-off will be held alongside BMC's Play Day, a day for little leaguers to play and practice in preparation for the season.

Rick Ford, Keep Chandler Beautiful president, said he was excited at the prospect of having the cook-off alongside the Play Day. Ford is also the Chandler Parks Board president.

"I know some members of CASI have been trying to put one together in our area for a couple of years now and this works out real well for the exposure we are trying to garner with the park."

Ford also said the competition would not be limited to CASI members; several area residents have already signed up.

Signups for the competition end Saturday morning, with walk-ins being accepted at the park, Ford said. Contestants can just show up, pay the $20 fee and start cooking immediately.

A requirement for the competition is all chili has to be cooked on site with chili grind meat.

There will also be inflatable blow-ups for the children, and plans for an RV and fishing boat display are in the works. There might also be several craft booths. It is $10 for children to use the blow-ups for the day.

The baseball games begin at 9 am. The first game on the blue field is the T-Ball Bears vs Rangers. The yellow field will have the Jr Midget Blue Jays vs Cubs. On the green field it's the Freshman Athletics vs Gators.

The coaches/parent softball game is at 5 pm.