11-08-08 Fall Festival & Chili Cook-Off

It really was a chilly Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, November 8^th and the first time that Main Street McDonough’s annual Fall Festival and Chili Cook-Off was held at Heritage Park. The Jason T. Harper Event Center housed the contestants who had to actually make their entry chili on site. As they concocted their wicked brew, a winning wicked brew each booth hoped, they fought the chill of an early November drop in temperature. Inflatables for children attending where put outside the arena in the sunshine that provided some warmth as the day wore on.

Another first for this year’s event was the participation of some Georgia members of the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI). This organization’s mission is to promote chili and raise money for charity. CASI sanctioned events raise over a million dollars annually for local charities and provide an opportunity for cooks to qualify for the Terlingua International Chili Championship held every November in Terlingua, Texas, “Chili Capital of the World”. To learn more about these chili aficionados, go to www.chili.org.

Two groups of winners were recognized after the people had spoken by casting their wooden tokens in the plastic pumpkin of their favorite chili recipe.  Main Street McDonough Director Linda Schenk and Main Street Advisory Board Chairman Lee Freeman announced the top chili cooks.  The local winners were announced first.  The People’s Choice honors went to:  4^th Place—Jeff Beaver; 3^rd Place—FirstBank Financial Services’ Rhett Tucker and Phillip Pence; 2^nd Place—Rob McFall; and for the second year in a row, 1^st Place winners—Randy Cobb, David Camp, Mark Tumlinson, Jerilyn Bowdoin, Perry Boyce and Frank Boyce, better known as the Chili Choppers. This group prepared twelve gallons of chili for this year’s Cook-Off.

Winners from the CASI entries were: 3^rd Place—Lane Blair and his booth entitled Fatty Blair’s Chili Emporium from Douglasville, Georgia; 2^nd Place—Hance Patrick and his booth entitled Lake Dogs Chili from Lake Sinclair, Georgia; and 1^st Place—Lynette Blair, wife of Lane Blair, and her booth also Fatty Blair’s Chili Emporium from Douglasville. Mrs. Blair entered her chili recipe for the very first time at this event but only for the judges to taste strictly for judging purposes.

Three bands, McDonough Rhythm Section, The Peeled Onions and The “Doc” Driver Band, played throughout the afternoon and evening. “We want to thank all those who took part in this year’s Fall Festival & Chili Cook-Off. There was some awfully good chili entered this year,” said Main Street Director Linda Schenk.  “The bands were great, and the children had lots of fun playing on the inflatables. She added, “A special ‘thank you’ goes to the members of Georgia CASI who participated for the very first time.”

Main Street Director Linda Schenk (Fifth from Left) and Main Street Advisory Board Chairman Lee Freeman (Right) join the local winners of the 2008 Chili Cook-Off as they line up on stage.

The top three winners among the CASI participants receive trophies from Main Street Director Linda Schenk (Right) and Main Street Advisory Board Chairman Lee Freeman (Left). Winners include 3rd Place Lane Blair (Second from Left); 2nd Place Hance Patrick (Center); and 1st Place winner Lynette Blair (Second from Right).