Felton to host full-blown chili cook-off

While the coming of spring promises warmer weather, Meghan Dunn wants to bring a new kind of heat to the San Lorenzo Valley — the spiciness found only in chili.
Dunn, Dana Roach and Andrea Wilke are organizing the first Chili Cook-off to benefit Glen Arbor School in Ben Lomond.
Dunn was inspired by the annual chili cook-off at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where she competed in 2010.
“I had a blast doing it,” she said. “And I saw it as a great money-maker.”
Dunn has two children who attend Glen Arbor School and hatched the plan this spring to help the nonprofit preschool.
The cook-off will take place May 20 at Felton Covered Bridge Park, rain or shine. Contestants must take all their ingredients to the park in the morning and cook two gallons of chili in five hours in preparation for a public tasting from 2 to 5 p.m.
There will be a first-place cash prize for the overall best chili, along with prizes for the People’s Choice Chili and Most Tasted Chili. An optional entry will be in the Hottest Chili contest, which will also receive a cash prize.
The entry fee for participants is $40. Registration will close at 50 entrants, and sign-ups will run through April 15.
Dunn borrowed many of the chili cook-off rules from the International Chili Society, although the Felton event is not sanctioned by the society.
Bands Jay Lingo and Sarah Jane will play during the tasting and judging period, and soda, t-shirt and water will be sold during the day.
Sponsors include Too Funky Racing, Quality Inn in Ben Lomond, Scarborough Lumber and Eric Hammer Construction.
“I am excited to see the turnout and to see how many people will come to another community event,” Dunn said. “Hopefully, this will be an annual event, and it will be even bigger next year.”
Felton Chili Cook-off
When: 2 to 4 p.m. May 20
Where: Covered Bridge Park, Graham Hill Road at Mount Hermon Road, in Felton
Info: www.slvcookoff.com, 588-1387 or sl********@***oo.com