Old Time Chli Cookoff Prepares for 2011 Event

Special to Asheboro Magazine 

Old Time Chili Cookoff Prepares for 2011 Event 

ASHEBORO, N.C. – If you take a stroll through Bicentennial Park in downtown Asheboro around 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, you’ll see chili cooks busy chopping peppers, onions and garlic. You’ll hear meat sizzling. You’ll see cooks stirring their pots in hopes of going home with the coveted People’s Choice Award in the Old Time Chili Cookoff.

            At the same time, you’ll feel the engine vibration of old Fords, Chevys, Buicks and more rumbling down the street as they start coming in for the “Cruisin’ for Miracles” Car Show.

            Yes, there are actually two events in one.

            The chili cookoff is a fundraiser for the Randolph Heritage Conservancy, an organization focusing upon local historic preservation. As in 2010, the Conservancy will give a donation to the Sunset Theater restoration project.

            The car show is a benefit for the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) and is being produced by the Golden Corral in Asheboro which is in region that supports the CMN efforts at Duke Hospital in Durham. Golden Corral, Inc. is a corporate sponsor of CMN, with restaurants in the northern Triad supporting Wake Forest Hospital.

            In 2010, there were around a dozen cooks who vied for not only the People’s Choice Award, but also top prizes from a panel of judges. This year, competition is expected to be quite stiff, as cooks are developing their strategies.

            A lucky cook will take home the grand prize of $600. Additional prizes are $400 for Second Place, $200 for People’s Choice and $200 for Showmanship.

            Car registration will be held from 8:30-10:30 a.m. with judging beginning at 11 a.m.

            The official panel of chili judges will start tasting at 12 noon. Public tasting will begin at 12:30 and probably run through 3 p.m. Organizers said chili went pretty fast last year.

            Admission is free for both events.

            However, to taste the chili and cast a ballot, you’ll need a ticket. They’re $5 per person for children over 10 years old.

            Cooking registration is $25. The deadline to enter is April 10.

            Pre-registration for the car show is $20. On the day of the event, it is $25. The first 100 entries will receive a dash plaque. Golden Corral will give the Top 40 Awards.     

            “We would like to raise $3,500 this year for the Children’s Miracle Network,” says Gerald Cain, manager of the Asheboro Golden Corral. “Our store helps local children receive necessary medical care at Duke Hospital. So this year, we’ve added a silent auction which promises to have some really neat items in it.”

            To stay abreast of both events, visit Old Time Chili Cookoff and “Cruisin’ for Miracles Car Show” on Facebook or visit www.OldTimeChiliCookoff.com. For more information about the chili cookoff, call Cindy Wilkins at 336-430-8372. To register for the car show, call Gerald Cain at 336-625-6734.