Chili Cook Off

Saturday, May 2, 2009 will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Virginia State Championship Chili Cook Off in Roanoke, Virginia! The annual festival brings chili cooks from across the country to compete for monetary prizes and the chance to go on as Virginia’s representative to the World Championship Chili Cook Off held annually each Fall.

The Chili Cook Off is a fun festival for the whole family and takes place in downtown Roanoke at Norfolk Ave. and Salem Ave., The Railside Amphitheatre, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get there early if you want a taste of some of the competitor’s recipes! You will also enjoy a full day of musical entertainment, a children’s festival zone with games and activities, and a variety of arts and crafts vendors. Delicious chili-by-the-bowl is also sold as an additional fundraiser for Greenvale School.

Stay into the afternoon to enjoy the music and games, especially our annual headliner band, The Kings, who usually take the stage around 1 p.m. The Chili Cook Off winners will be announced starting around 4:30 p.m. Admission is just $4 per person, $3 in advance (admission buttons are available for sale in advance at Stop In Food Stores in the Roanoke area), and children 10 and under get in for free. Your admission payment gets you access to a voting ballot for People’s Choice Chili, access for browsing merchandise from all the sales vendors, the children’s festival zone, a full day of musical entertainment acts and chili tastings while they last – they go fast! Best of all, your admission payment benefits the scholarship fund at Greenvale School, which benefits hundreds of low-income children every year.

WDBJ-7 TV and Q99-FM Radio are the generous media sponsors for the Chili Cook Off, and both stations present their own special chili recipes each year –  WDBJ’s “Survivor Chili” and Dick & Dave’s “Breakfast Club Chili” have both been big crowd pleasers! We can’t wait to see what WDBJ and Q-99 cook up for 2009!  Be sure to get there in time for our annual jalepeno eating contest at noon, emceed by Dick & Dave, which is always hilarious and children especially love participating in this wacky contest!  Don't forget the other great Roanoke Food Tradition, taking place in Elmwood Park May 1-2, 2009, The Strawberry Festival!