Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival
Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival

Suwanee Certified Chili Cook-Off Sign Up Info

Join us at this year’s Chili Cook-Off and Music Festival – our 3rd Annual Event.


This is a fun filled community event in Suwanee, GA that features a Chili Cook-Off, vendors, artists, non-profits, a Kids’s Fun Zone and Live Music sponsored by ARN Entertainment.   The Suwanee Chili Cook-Off and Music Festival is a fundraiser for Project Green, a local children’s charity that helps sponsor kids to summer camps, day trips and educational school excursions across the Southeast.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The Suwanee Chili Cook-Off and Music Festival is an Official ICS CERTIFIED CHILI COOK-OFF 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       




The event will take place from 11am until 5pm

 Chili Cook-Off competition will take place from 1pm to 4pm
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The event will additionally host vendors, artists, a kids area, Food Trucks (non-chili) and LIVE Bands on the Music Stage.


Click the ENTER CHILI COOK OFF HERE button at the bottom of this page to REGISTER!


Anyone is eligible to enter from Amateur to a professional Chef!  Entry fees are per category – you may enter in one category or both. 

People’s Choice Chili is required by all contestants. Any type of chili may be served as PC chili. Fillers are allowed to be served with PC Chili. Winners are determined by the public. A minimum of 7 gallons is required (896 = 1oz samples) with 10 gallons recommended to make sure you do not run out.  Judged Chili – Submissions of 16oz cups to the judges will take place at 1pm left side of stage. You can offer different chili than what you are serving for PC Chili.  Winners will be announced on main stage around 4:30pm


CHILI ENTRY CATEGORIES:

Chili Cook-Off Entry Fee - $40 per category


TRADITIONAL RED CHILI                  HOMESTYLE CHILI

Prizes:        

People's Choice Best Chili:  Trophy, CASH $TBD

Best Traditional Chili                   Best Homestyle Chili:

                         Cash $TBD plus Trophy & Paid Entry into 2025 World Open Chili Challenge (Amateur Division) at the ICS Cook Off  
Traditional Chili 2nd Place         Homestyle Chili 2nd Place: 

                         CASH $TBD plus Trophy & Certificate

Traditional Chili 3rd Place           Homestyle Chili 3rd Place: 

                          Trophy plus Certificate and Free entry into 2025 Suwanee Chili Cook Off & Music Festival  



COMPETITION ENTRY

 

1) Chili Cook-Off Contestants may enter as an individual or team.. Multiple entries may be submitted by a team for additional entry fees.

2) For purposes of this event, chili is defined as:

Traditional Red Chili - is any kind of meat, or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Beans and non-vegetable fillers such as rice and pasta are not allowed. Preference is not given to either cut meat, ground meat, shredded meat or cubed meat.

A Homestyle Chili – Anything Goes Chili - is any kind of meat, or combination of meats, and/or vegetables cooked with beans, chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. Homestyle chili may be any color.

Veggie Chili – Part of Homestyle Chili Entry - is any kind of vegetable, or combination of vegetables, cooked with chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients. The use of meat and/or any meat by-product is not allowed. The use of soy and meatless “meat” substitutes is allowed. Veggie Chili can be any color.

3) Chili must be made from scratch.  Chili can be made at home and brought to the event or can be cooked onsite beginning at 9:00am

4) Event will provide a 10x10ft space, one 6ft table and two chairs. Cooks must bring their own Tents, additional tables, tent weights as tents are not allowed to be steaked into the grass. Event will also provide sampling cups and napkins.  Spoons will be given to attendees with an arm band.

5) Power:  Each power outlet is $50 and can only handle a max of 2 cook tops or 2 crock pots.  If you need more power, you will need to purchase an additional outlet.  A small generator as backup if needed. The event does not provide electric cords or power strips. Cooks will need to provide their own appropriate power connections.

6) A prepared 7 Gallon minimum is required for each entry. 7 gallons of chili is 896 samples that are 1oz in size. It is strongly suggested that you bring up to 10 gallons of chili to ensure sampling availability through 4pm. You definitely do not want to run out.  The more you sample the better chances you have to WIN.

7) Chili needs to be served to the general public in provided cups. Chili being served to the public can be served alone or with fillers such as corn chips, corn bread, rice, etc.  Judged Chili – Submissions of 16oz cups to the judges will take place at 1pm left side of stage. You can offer different chili than what you are serving for PC Chili. No fillers allowed. Tasting Armbands will be available for purchase by consumers for $12 each. Chili Tasters will receive “voting tokens” to use for voting for their choice chili. Spoons will be provided to individuals at time of registration with wristbands.

8) Chili may not be sold to the public. Only “wrist banded” individuals are allowed to taste the chili your team prepares. Wristbands & voting tokens will be available at the registration table for sale.

9) A team member must deliver containers with all tokens to the Registration table no later than 4:05pm

10) The event is over at 5pm. Each team is responsible for cleaning up their area at the end of the day and removing all items from the area. 

DON’T FORGET YOUR GARBAGE BAGS!!!  No items shall remain after the close of the event. Any items remaining after the event will be discarded and a cleaning fee of $200 will be billed back by the city of Suwanee.

11) Pre-registration is highly recommended for Chili Cooking Teams. Please return participant registration forms (with payment) no later than November 1st to guarantee your entry as space is limited.

12) Event set up will start at 8am the day of the event. All Chili cooks must be ready by 12:55pm as the People’s Chili Cook-Off hours are 1pm to 4pm