Main Event
Event: Second Annual Smoke Eaters Chili Challenge
Date of Event: September 13, 2025 (Saturday)
Location: Jacksonville Community Center - 501 Alexandria Rd SW, Jacksonville, AL 36265
Time of Event: 1:00 pm until 4:00 (doors will be open to the public at 2:00)
Details:
This fundraiser is being held on behalf of the Calhoun County Blue Line Foundation. The first portion will be the actual chili challenge. Contestants are asked to arrive at 1:00 pm to set up for the event. This will be a random judging by a panel of three judges. Each contestant will be provided three cups with a number on the bottom. The judges will not know who is given what number. The main event will have three tiered winners. First place will win a $500 package prize, Second Place will receive a $250 package prize and Third Place will receive a $100 package prize. There will also be two other contests going on. The first will be the People’s Choice Award. Additional tickets will be available for purchase for voting in the People Choice Award. Each person who attends will be provided a ticket that they can place next to the chili they like the most. At the end of the event, the tickets will be collected and counted the winner will receive a $100 package prize. The final award is for the Agency that wins the best chili. This year Piedmont will return the trophy they won last year and will have to fight again to keep it. The winning department will be presented the trophy and take it back to their agency and held until next year’s cook-off.
Contest Rules:
1. Contestants must be pre-registered (No walk-ins will be accepted)
2. Registrations must be received no later than September 8, 2025
3. Contestants must check in at the registration table at 1:00 pm
4. Each batch of chili must be prepared in advance
5. Contestants are required to bring a crock pot-style cooker large enough to hold their chili batch
6. Contestants should prepare 3-5 quarts of chili
7. Please bring an extension cord to ensure there is no issue with plugging in your crockpot
8. All ingredients are acceptable and must be submitted, via email, to the foundation before the event. We do not need measurements. Just an ingredient list to ensure no one has allergy concerns.
9. Please rate your spice level on a scale of 1-10 (10 being hottest. This is for the taster’s information only.
10. Condiments for the contestant’s chili should be separated into individual bowls. (Condiments are optional.)
11. Each cook will prepare one cup of chili for each judge. A runner will then deliver the cups to the judge’s table.
12. Judges will not be allowed to see which cup is taken from each table before the final judgment
13. Contestants are responsible for their own clean-up at their station.
14. Event Staff will dispose of any items left behind after the event has ended.
Judging:
1. Judging will begin at 3:00 pm
2. Winners will be announced once judging has ended
3. Three rounds of judging will be used to determine 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place chili
4. There will be an additional round of judging if it ends in a tie
5. All judging is based solely on taste
Round 1:
1. Each judge will sample the chilis submitted and rank them on a scale of 1-10 based on the above criteria
2. The top 5 will move on to round 2
3. A fourth judge will be brought in to taste the tied chilis in the event of a tie. That judge’s vote will determine which one advances
Round 2:
1. Each judge will sample the chilis submitted and rank them on a scale of 1-10
2. The top 3 will continue to the next round
3. In the event of a tie the fourth judge will determine the winner
Round 3:
1. Each judge will sample the chilis submitted and rank them on a scale of 1-10
2. The chili with the highest score will become the 1st place winner
3. In the event of a tie the fourth judge will determine the winner


Also DON"T FORGET:

Pre-Game Party
Location: Anniston Regional Airport – 3301 AL Highway 21 S, Oxford, AL 36203
Date of Event: September 12, 2025
Time of Event: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Details:
On Friday afternoon the Anniston FBO will be open for the community to come out and interact with some of the special police and fire vehicles and some different law enforcement and rescue aircraft. There will be fun events for both kids and adults; food and beverages will be available on site.