The Fire on the Mountain Chili Cook-off is set to heat up Snowshoe WV for its 23rd Annual event. Besides being a great chili and salsa competition the event also offers live entertainment, fun & games for the whole family and the chance for contestants to win cash and other prizes against the top chili cooks in the nation.
An estimated 2,000 visitors are expected to participate in the mountaintop events and to sample a wide variety of mouth-watering chili. The Fire on the Mountain Chili cook-off is one of the most popular events Pocahontas County has to offer. Every year the cook off continues to draw some of the most talented groups of nationwide chefs from all around. Besides the red chili championship cook off, Fire on the Mountain also offers contestants the opportunity to compete in the salsa and green chili divisions throughout the weekend’s entertainment. What can be better than two days of family fun, great food, live music, arts & crafts, games and cool mountain climate?
In order for contestants to participate in the Homemade chili events there are rules set forth by the International Chili Society. the cook’s can utilize any ingredients to create their chili. The contestants are not allowed to prepare any ingredients ahead of time, they must wait until the competition begins before they can begin preparing their chili. There are some exceptions concerning some food items that may be prepared ahead of time and they are covered during the contestant meeting which details in depth the rules of the competition. The rules clearly state no meat may be precooked before the competition, however, contestants are able to use any type of meat they choose.
Any other ingredients must be prepared during the allotted time period. The contestants are allotted a 3-4 hour period to cook their chili before being presented to the judges. During the “contestants meeting” (prior to the commencement of the event) a sponsor will give the contestants their final instructions and any questions will be answered.
Each contestant is assigned a work station with a wash station to work with; however, contestants are required to bring their own pots & pans, spoons, fire extinguisher etc. They are encouraged to keep their stations clean to avoid any mishaps or fires.
Each contestant is required to prepare a minimum of two quarts of chili to be submitted to the judges for judging. The contestants are prohibited from teaming up with any other contestant during the competition to increase their chances of winning. If they are found doing so they could be suspended for up to one year.
Fire on the Mountain Chili Cook-off organizers go to great lengths to ensure a fair competition for everyone entering the competition. The contestants take great pride in their recipes and enjoy the pressures of vying for bragging rights and the chance to show they are the best.
For lodging visit https://mountaintopcondos.com or call (724) 252-7761.
Ooh I once entered a chili eating contest at the State Fair in Austin, TX and since then I have been collecting different recipes in an attempt to produce the ultimate chili – I haven’t found it yet. If only I could attend then I might finally nail the supreme chili recipe!
OMG huge chili lover here! I know that I would absolutely LOVE this event! I didn’t see this in time for this one but I will definitely be making the next one! hehe
Ok, now I want to move here and go to work for Mountaintop Condos! A Chili Cook-Off!! How have I missed this all this time!! We do chili cook-offs every weekend in Texas, my middle name is CHILI!! I clicked the link above that says “For lodging visit” and I can see where I can book my condo for the FreeFall Festival. I missed this event and I missed another event that I would have loved to made, but I refuse to miss anymore.
This place is so in my budget it is crazy and I don’t think you understand how tight I am with my money. One of the problems I have with traveling is finding someplace to go that is within my price range and is fun. Well, I believe I have stumbled upon the place.
I haven’t been to a chili cook off since I was a kid. I didn’t like chili then either! I was a picky kid. I would love to go to this event. All these amazing events, it really makes it hard to not want to move out there! Sounds like such a down to earth area full of kind hearted people.
I absolutely LOVE chili! I can’t believe I’ve never been to a chili cook-off, but this is something I would love going to… sounds super fun and yummy! Plus, I could get some new ideas for my own chili recipe.