A team serves chili to event attendees Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Hundreds of Laramie County residents piled into the Event Center at Archer on Friday night to taste a wide variety of delicious chili.
The Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne hosted its 15th annual Chili Challenge on Friday, in which 22 teams representing various organizations sampled their chili to attendees.
Across all teams, somewhere from 50 to 60 chili recipes were entered into the contest, according to Kellie Fine, director of Resource Development for Boys & Girls Club of Cheyenne.
“It’s one of our most family-friendly events,” Fine told Cap City News.
Each team could enter up to four different kinds of chili: red, green, white and vegetarian. Every team had to provide at least 6–7 gallons for each of their chilis entered, Fine said.
To further spice up the night, contestants decorated their booths and dressed up for the evening with an intergalactic theme. Tournament-goers dressed up in “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and alien-themed attire. Others brought in makeshift robots, a NASA rocket ship and artwork from the “Futurama” TV show. Each team got to vote for the best-designed booth, which was announced at the end of the night.
Winners of each chili category received cutting boards designed by Cheyenne company Trophy Creative.
“We wanted to do something other than a trophy to make it more creative this year,” Fine said.
The judges graded each chili without any knowledge of who cooked it during the grading process, Fine said. Here are the results of Friday’s tournament:
Best red chili: First, Village Inn.; second, #1 Properties; third, 3 Lazy R Chuck Wagon
Best white chili: First, Jackalope Jacks Kitchen; second, REMAX Capitol Properties; third, LCCC
Best green chili: First, Jackalope Jacks Kitchen; second, Dyno Nobel Inc.; third, Pine Rock Realty
Best vegetarian chili: First, Steiner, Fournier, Zook & Case LLC.
People’s Choice: The Boys & Girls Club teen booth
Best Booth: Dyno Nobel Inc.
Attendees grab samples of chili and mingle with one another Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Melissa Stutz, left, and Shawn Eby from Laramie County Community College dress up in “Star Wars” attire Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. Their team was serving a white chicken chili and a Moroccan spice chili. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)“Space food” chips are served at a booth Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)From left: Diane Muller, Peter Inells and Chris Hammer from Jackalope Jacks Kitchen stand inside their Star Trek-themed booth Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. Their green and white chilis received first place in their respective categories. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)From left: Tammy Grant, Tania Reidell, Angie Depew, Justin Howell, Heather Mendoza and Rick Lara with #1 Properties stand for a photo inside their intergalactic-themed booth Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. The team’s red chili won second place. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)#1 Properties’ white chili is shown Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)Rebecca Boden with Encode Electric serves white chili to an event attendee Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)A Darth Vader figure from “Star Wars” at a booth holds a string of chili peppers Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)A homemade robot sits on a stand Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)From right: Jay Sullivan, Margaret Welch, Chantelle Runion and Dave Burrill with Youth Alternatives pose for a photo in “Star Wars” costumes Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)A cutting board provided by Trophy Creative was awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners in each chili category Friday night during the 15th Annual Chili Challenge at Event Center at Archer. (Jared Gendron/Cap City News)
