It was the perfect fall day in Hopkinsville Saturday, with cool temperatures and sunny skies, and at Founders Square, folks turned out to eat some chili and vote on their favorites for the Military Affairs Committee Chili Cook-Off.
There were 16 teams participating in the cook-off, and they were all gunning for the grand champion spot, with cooking starting bright and early. By the time the judges began their work, the smell of chili was thick in the air, along with music, laughter and the sounds of festival-goers playing games.
And when public sampling began, it was a full-house—MAC Director Shannon Lane was delighted with the turnout, saying they couldn’t have asked for better weather and this event is perfect for bringing folks together.
All money raised goes right back into supporting the MAC’s efforts, which is all about advocating for and supporting the military service members and their families that call this area home.
While all the chili available for sampling was impressive, there had to be winners, and those ended up being the Hopkinsville Fire Department in third place, the Walmart Distribution Center took second, and first place went to Edward Jones.
The grand champion, and grand prize, was awarded to the Christian County Sheriff’s Department/Christian County Government—which also was voted the Crowd Favorite.