The aroma of award winning chili will return to Laishley Park!  25 chili teams will set up their chili cooking booths in an effort to persuade the judges and the general public that their chili is the best. The teams may consist of friends, family, service organizations, clubs, non-profits, businesses, or just about anyone who has the desire to make good, if not great chili. In addition to making great chili, teams will be challenged to decorate their 15’ x 15’ booths in a “HillBilly Chili” theme. The best decorated booth will win the Showmanship award and a first place prize of $500. Booths will be judged on five criteria– Theme, Action, Costume, Audience Appeal, and Booth Set-Up. Awards will be given to the top five booths. Teams may decorate their booths however they choose using any type of decorations, lights, banners, flags, props, etc. The only requirement is everything must be inside the 15 x 15 booth area. Chili Teams may also dress the theme or wear costumes as part of the booths appearance. Chili will be the focus of the day and it will be judged in two ways. A panel of judges will taste test samples from each of the teams. Judges will score chili samples on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the best. There are five criteria for scoring– Aroma, Consistency, Color, Taste, and Texture. NOTE: Heat is not a grading factor! The Chili Challenge winners will receive $500, bragging rights, and a trophy and prizes will be awarded through 5th place. There will also be a $500 Award for the People’s Choice of best Chili. Each attendee will receive a voting coupon when they enter through the main gate, Collect as m any of those coupons from people visiting your booth as you can!