Enter the Contest

Four ways to compete. Only one of them needs a membership.

JUST FOR FUN

3. Friday Night Throwdown

Friday, January 22, 2027 · 7 PM · $25 (no fee if also joining sactioned contest.)

Saturday is for the judges. Friday night is for us. Before the official competition starts, we throw open the campsites for a Chili and Smoked Mac & Cheese throwdown. You cook it, you serve it from your own site, and everybody who takes a bite gets a vote. Two categories — Chili, and Smoked Mac & Cheese. Enter one, enter both, no charge either way. 

THE RULES

 There are no rules. No blind boxes, no turn-in windows, no scorecards, no criteria, no categories within categories. Build it at home and finish it on site if that's easier. If it's chili, it's chili. That's the whole rulebook. 

HOW IT WORKS 

You serve from your own campsite starting at 7:00 PM. Your site is your stage — decorate it, work the crowd, do what you do. Everyone who tastes gets a voting ticket, including other teams, so go try your neighbor's chili and vote your conscience. 

WHO'S COMING 

An invited crowd of community partners, city officials, craft vendors, and car show organizers — somewhere between 50 and 100 people. This is a light cook, not a festival service. Plan accordingly. 

PRIZES 

Each category

1st — $100 and a trophy 

2nd — $50 and swag 

3rd — Called out from the stage 

Winners are announced Saturday from the main stage during the official awards ceremony. This one's for the love of competition and community. Come have fun with it. 

JUST FOR FUN

4. People's Choice

No entry fee · Optional for all teams

Festival guests buy a $10 ticket, taste pork from every participating team, and vote for their favorite.

It's the best exposure you'll get all day — a few hundred people who came specifically to eat barbecue, tasting yours.

Cook site details, load-in, and turn-in times are in the rules document.