More then Chili: What to Expect at 13th Annual Chili Cook-Off at Yesterday’s Bar and Grill

Article By: Ashley Bautista, Student Intern | BCS Chronicle

What You Need To Know:

• The World Champion Chili Cook-off started in 1967 in Terlingua, TX and has grown into a thriving group of chili enthusiasts who compete against each other to see who can craft the best chilli.

• This year will mark the 13th Annual Chili Cook-Off in College Station and their second year hosting and collaborating with local charities in Brazos County.

• Throughout the years, Chili Cook-offs have become major fundraisers around the world, and even raised an estimated $50 million from authorized cook-offs in 1992, according to the ICS website.

• This year, Yesterday’s Bar & Grill is collaborating with the United Way of Brazos Valley and the Texas Fiddle Clinic.

• Events such as the chili cook-offs helps promote growth and circulation throughout the area as people from different parts of the state come to stay and experience what the Bryan-College Station area has to offer. 

• Competitors will start cooking at 10 a.m., and throughout the day people are welcome to come in and taste all kinds of chili before the awards start at 4 p.m.

In 1967 in Terlingua, Texas, a group of friends sparked what most people would describe as a “friendly” competition to determine who made the best chili, according to the World Champion Chili Cook-Off website. Thus started a tradition that grew from a playful cook-off into a thriving community of chili enthusiasts vying for bragging rights. But how did this tradition start, and what makes it impactful?

According to the World Champion Chili Cook-Off website, in 1970 a statement of by-laws and articles were distributed for the new International Chili Society or ICS. Since their approval, competitions have grown all over the state of Texas and around the world for everyone to attend and participate. 

This year will mark the 13th Annual Chili Cook-Off in College Station and their second year hosting and collaborating with local charities in Brazos County. Morgan Cole, manager at Yesterday’s Bar & Grill in College Station and organizer of the Chili Cook-Off held at Yesterday’s, discussed the organization behind the Chili Cook-off in the Bryan-College Station Area.

“I’ve worked [at Yesterday's Bar & Grill] four years and worked all four chili cook-offs, but my last 2 years have been as organizer, so last year we started doing a sanctioned events,” Cole said.

“We had people from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Dallas – they came from all over surrounding states, which is really cool,” Cole said. “The first time I [worked] it we had like 20 teams and in the second year we had 15, and now [since last year] it jumped all the way up to just about 50…it's a huge growth which is absolutely amazing.”

Chili Cook-offs and Charity Impact

Throughout the years, Chili Cook-offs have become major fundraisers around the world, and even raised an estimated $50 million from authorized cook-offs in 1992, according to the ICS website. Since then, ICS has partnered with big companies and organizations like the Red Cross, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and many more, to help millions of people and charities around the world. 

This year, Yesterday’s Bar & Grill is collaborating with the United Way of Brazos Valley and the Texas Fiddle Clinic. Through sponsorships, raffle tickets, general admission costs, silent auction tickets and people’s choice tickets (where people get to vote by purchasing extra tickets), the money from these donations goes to help people in need in the local community. 

“Its a great thing just to give when you can,” Cole said. “It also shows a good community thing – like we are here to help through the community, and then we want to do as much as we can on our part.”

Chili Cook-offs and Community Impact

Beyond charities and chili, Chili Cook-offs have continued to grow in their impact over the years in the Bryan-College Station Area. Cole described how the cook-off helps promote growth and circulation throughout the area as people from different parts of the state come to stay and experience what the Bryan-College Station area has to offer. 

“Some of the people I talked to last year said, ‘We like we didn’t even know about College Station – we know about A&M and stuff but we've never been to College Station,’ and so that was a really cool experience,” Cole said.

Back in 2020, the World Food Championships officially passed ICS to “further its branding and growth in the Food Sports world for everyone to enjoy without interruption to existing members and contestants,” according to the WCCCO website. Here in BCS, competitors are serious about their chili as they line up in the parking lot to get registered and prepared before cooking. 

“[Competitors] get here to set up at around 5:30 - 6 a.m.,” Cole said. “They kind of line up all here in the parking lot in like a 10x10 space.”

Competitors will start cooking at 10 a.m., and throughout the day people are welcome to come in and taste all kinds of chili before the awards start at 4 p.m. People are also welcome to donate to the charities, join a silent auction, purchase a raffle ticket and enjoy live music from local bands and artists. “It's more upbeat, it's very Southern, but it's in a good way – you get a lot of [fresh chili] smells throughout the day and you get really hungry,” Cole said. “It's a very viable event, [and] it's a lot of fun.”