Wichita’s downtown chili cookoff returns after a year off, will happen in its old spot
In late August, only four teams were signed up to participate in the Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff — an annual event that draws hungry crowds downtown for chili samples, live music and people watching.
Organizers were worried.
But they needn’t have been. After they put out a plea for teams to sign up through Dining with Denise, the phone started ringing, and when the event returns on Saturday after a one-year COVID-19 hiatus, it will have around 60 teams passing out chili and vying for cash prizes and bragging rights.
“There’s some new people, and we have a lot of the staples we’ve had year in and year out,” said Bill Ramsey, the “media wrangler” for the Wichita Wagonmasters. “I think there are just a lot of people who are super excited to be a part of something out in public again.”
But the cookoff, which raises money for local charities, won’t be where crowds left it in 2019 — on Douglas directly in front of Century II. Now that Naftzger Park’s remodel is finished and the park has reopened — and because Wichita Festivals Inc. has already started setting up around Century II for next weekend’s special fall installment of Riverfest — the chili cookoff will move several blocks to the east and be set up where it was several years ago. The action will return to the 500 block of East Douglas, which is just in front of Naftzger Park at Douglas and St. Francis.
Those who want to sample chili can get a $5 tasting kit at the door and use it to try all the recipes being prepared by the individual teams. The tasting kit also entitles its owner to one full-sized bowl of chili prepared by the Wichita Wagonmasters, a group of local businessmen who help promote Wichita and organize charity events throughout the year.
Though the public tasting starts at noon, Ramsey encourages people to come earlier. Tasting kits and beer will be sold starting at 10 a.m., and people are invited to come early and hang out.
“You should get down there and start enjoying it and go around and talk to the teams,” Ramsey said. “They love that.”
There are a few more changes to the event. Though it will still include a chili pepper eating contest, the cookoff has scrapped the “Mr. Hot Stuff” and “Ms. Chili Pepper” contests it used to include.
Also, the cookoff is no longer affiliated with the International Chili Society and won’t be sending the winner to the big national competition. The change, made because the international group moved the date of its national competition, will make the event more casual and teams won’t have to follow so many stringent rules.
Though a few longtime competitors were disappointed by the change, Ramsey said, he doesn’t think it hurt participation.
“It just didn’t make sense for us to continue,” Ramsey said. “We’re really there to throw a party.”
The chili cookoff will also include a kids zone and live music from the band Epic, who will perform on the new Naftzger Park stage.
For more information on the cookoff, visit www.wagonmasters.org/chili-cookoff.
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