Are You Elk Grove's Next Chili Champ?

Are you a chili champion? Does your special recipe make your friends' mouths water?

Organizers of the Elk Grove Chili Cookoff are looking for a few good chili chefs to enter this year's competition, which takes place June 9 in Old Town Elk Grove. Winners take home cash prizes and bragging rights and can go on to compete in the International Chili Society's world championships this fall.

For more information, contact David at The Red Door Antiques at  916-714-0619, or register online at www.oldtownegfestivals.com. The cookoff is part of a larger festival that is expected to draw 10,000 people for music, kids' activities, a chili eating contest and more.

Check out for inspiration, and see below for more details from the organizers.

This year will be our 5th annual and one of Old Town’s most popular fundraisers. Again, this year’s event is an International Chili Society (ICS) Sanctioned Cookoff judged by ICS Judges with 1st-3rd places awarded in each category (Traditional Red Chili, Chili Verde and Salsa).

We are very excited to be adding ICS’s newest category of “Homestyle Chili." “Homestyle Chili” is anything goes. ICS traditional red chili is Texas style without beans. “Homestyle Chili” can have any ingredients combined with chili peppers which give it chili flavor. This means it can have beans, pasta, be vegetarian, turkey or whatever the recipe calls for. There are no restrictions. All ICS categories qualify for the ICS World’s Championship Chili Cookoff (WCCC), to be held the first weekend in October. Winner of the WCCC receives bragging rights as the “Best Chili Cook in the World” and a check for $25,000. The top “Homestyle Chili” winners will share bragging rights and over $10,000.

Chili Festival’s most popular category continues to be the “People’s Choice Award.” This is voted on by the general public. There is a nominal charge for a tasting kit. Proceeds of the sale of tasting kits go to this year’s charities. The Elk Grove Police Athletic League, the Elk Grove PD Explorer Unit and Jessie Baker School. A special needs school here in Elk Grove. Winner of the “People’s Choice Award” will receive $750.

Chili Festival will be held on Elk Grove Blvd from 2nd St to Derr on Saturday, June 9th, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The chili tasting and voting will begin at 12:00 noon and run until all the chili is gone (usually around 3:00 pm.) Organizers anticipate over 30 entries and another large crowd of citizens and tourists sampling and voting for their favorite entry.