Essex Chili Cook-Off Celebrates Community, Farms, and Farmers (New Date March 23)

Due to the snow amounts forecasted for Sunday, February 16th, we have decided to postpone the 2nd Annual Essex Chili Cook-Off to ensure the safety of all attendees. The event has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 23rd, 1pm-4pm at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall. Ticket reservations and competition registrations will remain valid for the new date.

The family-friendly event will feature live music, a chili dinner, and an opportunity to taste chilis competing for the Crowd Favorite Chili category. Tickets for the Essex Chili Cook-Off are FREE.

Please reserve your ticket, as there are limited dinners available.

“Our small, rural community is fortunate to know the wonderful people that grow our food, providing us with the opportunity to eat a balanced, locally sourced diet. This event is a chance for our local community to get together and celebrate the people that feed Essex and the North Country, as well as inviting chili enthusiasts to participate in a friendly competition for the best local chilis,” said Eli Goff, of Essex Initiatives.

The competition is free to enter, and local farms, members of the community, and businesses are invited to compete to win Best Meat Chili, Best Vegetarian Chili, Most Innovative Chili, Judge’s Favorite Chili, and Crowd Favorite Chili. Only chilis prepared in a commercial or licensed kitchen may be tasted by the public. All other chilis will be judged by a panel of six community members.

Funding for the Essex Chili Cook-Off comes from the Glenn & Carol Pearsall Foundation, dedicated to improving the quality of life for year-round residents of the Adirondack Park.

Additional funding was made possible by the Adirondack Foundation Kindling Award.

EI is a volunteer-run 501c3 nonprofit with a mission of promoting the Town of Essex for community and commercial interests. The organization puts on several community events throughout the year, including Essex Day, Holidays in Essex, and The Haunted Hamlet, which is a collaboration with The Town of Essex.

The historic Whallonsburg Grange Hall is a beautifully restored, century-old building owned by the Town of Essex and managed by a volunteer-run, 501c3 nonprofit. The Grange’s programming includes concerts by regionally and nationally known performers, a biweekly film series, plays, lectures, classes, and workshops throughout the year.

The Whallonsburg Grange Hall is located at 1610 NYS Route 22 in Whallonsburg, NY. Free event parking is available at the Grange Hall.

For additional information, please go to VisitEssexNY.com.

About Essex Initiatives

The mission of Essex Initiatives is to promote and encourage economic vitality, quality of life and sense of community in Essex NY, our hamlets and the surrounding areas. If you want to assist Essex Initiatives in community projects or attend meetings — let us know. Contact EI at PO Box 38, Essex, NY 12936. Or by email at essexinitiatives@gmail.com or on Facebook.