Fire at the Foothills draws crowd for chili, BBQ cookoff
Members of the Chelsea community were feeling the heat this weekend, and it was not just from the sun.
On Saturday, April 30, a crowd gathered in the Tractor Supply parking lot to taste and judge BBQ and chili for Fire at the Foothills. Money raised at the event benefitted Chelsea Kiwanis and Hero's Fire Safety Program with Chelsea Fire and Rescue.
The chili cookoff got started after an argument between Chelsea residents Scott Weygand and Justin Fogo, said Chelsea Fire and Rescue Lt. Don Williamson. Weygand and Fogo's offices are next door to each other, and one day they argued over who had the best chili. They then dropped off a few pots at the Chelsea Fire Department and asked some of the firefighters to judge.
"We ate it all and still couldn't make up our mind," Williamson said.
The Fire at the Foothills chili cookoff was born. Two years ago, Chelsea Kiwanis joined in on the event and added a BBQ cookoff as well.
At the 2016 Fire at the Foothills, awards were given for best chili, and best BBQ chicken, pork and butt. The winners were:
Chili
- First: Mary Fogo
- Second: Justin Fogo
- Third: Cody Sumners
BBQ
- Grand champion: Sheats Smoked Meats
- Reserve champion: Wright on Q
- Chicken, first place: Sheats Smoked Meats
- Chicken, second place: Bubba Q
- Chicken, third place: Dark Side BBQ
- Pork butt, first place: Sheats Smoked Meats
- Pork butt, second place: Wright on Q
- Pork butt, third place: The Real Squeal
- Ribs, first place: Wright on Q
- Ribs, second place: Sheats Smoked Meats
- Ribs, third place: Dark Side BBQ