- By -Staff
- Entertainment
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(Ithaca, NY) The return of the Hot Pepper-Eating Competition, VIP Passes, the Mechanical Bull-Riding Contest, and the Iron Chef Competition are among the events and activities that people can discover at the 11th Annual Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off and Winterfest, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, February 21, 2009 on the Ithaca Commons. The event is sponsored by Collegetown Bagels and Maines Paper and Food Service.Activities begin at 11:30 a.m., while chili tasting begins at 12:00 noon and continues until it’s gone! 30 local and regional restaurants and food service vendors will be offering chili samples and chicken wings. The Chili Cook-Off is Ithaca’s largest winter event, so chili fans are encouraged to arrive early and buy their tasting tickets in advance.
This year’s Chili Cook-Off features the return of the Hot Pepper-Eating Competition, which takes place at1:30 p.m. in the Commons Amphitheater. The contest was a popular Chili Cook-Off event for several years, but took a break so contestants could grab a couple of Rolaids and a drink of water.
Other activities to discover at the Great Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off and Winterfest include the Mechanical Bull Riding Competition, with a prize being awarded for the rider who stays on the bull the longest. Chili-Idol Karaoke takes place all day. Contestants can choose to simply sing or to compete as well, with 3 finalists being called back at the end of the day for a sing-off! The winner will be determined by audience applause. The Air Guitar Competition is sponsored by radio station WIII (I-100), and the Iron Chef Competition also returns. Chef Seth Gregory of Fine Line Bistro will defend his title against Chefs Patrick Johnston of the East Shore Café and Samantha Izzo of the Simply Red Bistro. The chefs will set up mini-kitchens outside on the Bernie Milton Pavilion, and have one hour to prepare a full-course meal that’ll be graded by a panel of judges.
Both the public and another panel of judges will be asked to choose their favorite meat and vegetarian chilies, and their favorite chicken wings, with prizes being awarded to the winners.
An awards presentation for all of the day’s winners will take place at 4; 00 p.m.
A brand new effort at this year’s Chili Cook-Off is a plan to reduce the amount of waste it generates by giving each attendee a reusable tasting spoon. The plan is a response to suggestions from the public, according to Downtown Ithaca Alliance Events Coordinator Vicki Taylor. “Most of the people who come to the Chili Cook-Off will try several chili samples, meaning thousands of plastic spoons are being thrown out at the end of the day. By giving everyone a reusable tasting spoon, we can drastically reduce that number and address the many concerns people have expressed about making the Chili Cook-Off more environmentally friendly.”
Restaurants and food vendors will still have spoons available for those people who lose or misplace their reusable one. Members of the public are also encouraged to bring their own tasting spoon.
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