Monona’s 41st

Chili Cook-Off

and the winners are…

A huge thank you to all the amazing cooks, volunteers, and chili enthusiasts who came out for Monona’s 41st Annual Chili Cook-Off! We were thrilled to host over 500 guests who savored incredible flavors and voted for their favorite chili.

As voted by our panel of judges:

First Place: Chili Bich, Sal’s Tomato Pies
Second Place: Red Eye Chili, sponsored by Modern Woodmen
Third Place: Frijoles en Fuego, sponsored by Discover Monona

As voted by the crowd:

Most Unique: OCB Aloha Chili, One Community Bank
Crowd Favorite: Frijoles en Fuego, sponsored by Discover Monona
Best Team Theme: Old Grease, Shackelford Heating & Cooling
Congratulations to all our winners and participants! Your hard work and mouth-watering creations made this event unforgettable.

From The River Food Pantry:

 

Monona East Side Business Alliance donated to The River over 250 pounds of prepared food and beverages left over from their Chili Cook-Off! Thank you, MESBA, for helping to nourish our community and minimize waste.

What is it about chili?

 

There’s something special about chili that inspires top secret ingredients, wild experimentation, and family traditions passed down many generations.  That slow cooked, spice infused, hearty goodness warms your body and soul – it’s truly the ultimate comfort food.

Head to Ahuska Park on Saturday, September 28th from 11-2p for Monona’s 41st Chili Cook-Off – the longest running in Wisconsin – to see why Destination Madison includes us in “FALL FLAVORS THAT DEMAND A TRIP TO MADISON“.

The Chili

 

Get your wristband for unlimited chili sampling. Choose your samples wisely – we’ll have up to 40 cook teams (that’s 40 – 1 oz samples of chili!) you’ll have available to choose from.  Expect flavors all over the board.  In previous years we’ve had traditional to extreme heat, green chili to creamy white, smoky to sweet and tropical.

The Cooks

 

The chili cooks begin setting up and cooking before sunrise, using gas powered stoves.  Ingredients should be prepped, but all cooking must happen on site. Many will serve themed chili in a decorated tent in full costumes to match the theme of their chili. Clearly there’s a lot of love that goes into this day!

The Events

 

Enjoy live music from Monona’s own Progressive Lane All Stars, and a cookbook popup sale from Friends of Monona Library.  We’ll be announcing more activities, our beverage tent menu, and concessions menu soon!

What To Bring

 

Many of our chili tasting pros choose to bring muffin tins to help them hold many chili samples at a time, and help keep track of which team was the cook.  Teams will receive awards based on voting from both the crowd, and our panel of judges.

Come to Cook, or Come to Taste

 

Grab your friends, family, or coworkers and register to compete in the 41st Chili Cook-Off. Registration per team is $200 and includes a $100 gift card to two local favorites—Fraboni’s Italian Specialties & Delicatessen or Ken’s Meats and Deli. Many teams opt to be sponsored by a local business, display the business banner in their cooking tent, and have their registration fees covered.

Prizes will be awarded for:

Best Chili (voted by our judges) – First $250, Second $150, and Third $100

Best Chili – Crowd Favorite – $100

Best Team Theme – for costumes, tent decor, and name of chili – $100

Most Unique Chili – $100

Cook Team Registration - $200
General admission is $15.  This wristband gives you access to unlimited chili sampling, live music, fun activities, the beverage tent and concessions, and seating at picnic tables.
General Admission Tickets - $15
Or, splurge on access to the Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial VIP luxury tent for $50. VIP admission includes all the features of general admission, plus access to the temperature-controlled lounge with comfy seating, waitstaff, hors d’oeuvres, specialty drinks in addition to beer and other canned beverages, door prizes, and gift bags.
VIP Luxury Tent Tickets - $50
Want free admission?  Volunteer!  Many hands make this event possible, and we are so grateful to have you.
Free Admission - Volunteer
Questions?  Reach us at [email protected].

 

Schedule of Events

 

Enjoy live music from Monona’s own Progressive Lane All Stars, and a cookbook popup sale from Friends of Monona Library.

What To Expect

 

In addition to unlimited chili samples, there will be lots of other tasty food and beverages.  Grab tickets at $2 a piece for the concessions and beverage tent.

Share your memories

 

With 41 years of chili events, we’ve heard some really special memories and seen some great photos.

Share yours with us – we’ll demonstrate the history and traditions for those new to the event – [email protected].

Thank you to our sponsors!

 

Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial – VIP tent, One Community Bank & TDS – Entertainment, The Cozy Home – Furnishings for VIP tent,  Lake Ridge Bank for concessions, refreshment tent by Ho-Chunk Gaming – Madison & Guild Mortgage, and LRS for waste collection containers donation.