More than Chili

Yesterday, we went downtown to the 31st Sertoma Chili Cook-off.  Yes, this has been going on for YEARS and this is the first time we’ve ever gone.

(lesson for next year….get their earlier, so we don’t have

to park and hike from so far away)

All I can say is OH MY….now I want to go EVERY year!

Gobs of people……I think they estimate about 9,000!

I guess you could say it’s an Ozarks Mardi Gras

of sorts….

Beads and all!

Many businesses and organizations from the area

serve up samples of chili….. 110 samples to be precise….

yeah, even by tiny little appetizer size cup-fulls, I was done sampling

after about 15!

My favorite was from here…. Elks Lodge #409 (just found

out they got 3rd place from the judges and were #1

in the people’s choice awards)

They had a hot and a mild chili….I tried the hot and it

was my favorite, plus I loved their booth!

As the day wore on, the Springfield Firefighter’s booth

got fairly popular…..was it the chili or the pole?

There were live bands, this was “Machine Gun Symphony”,

who was belting out popular “80’s hair band” music….

they rocked!

We brought home some Chipotle Mayo that the Kraft

booth was giving away…

and just generally had a really great time!

The money raised by this event goes to the

Springfield Boys and Girls Clubs.