Ludlow Rotary Club’s 35th Annual Chili Cook-off a Sizzling Success!
More than 500 chili lovers gathered in beautiful downtown Ludlow on Saturday, October 10, 2026; for the Ludlow Rotary Club’s 35th Annual Chili Cook-off! Blessed with a bright blue Vermont fall sky, the event brought together locals and visitors for a delicious day of chili tasting, friendly competition, and community spirit.
Held beneath the big tent on Main and Depot Streets, this beloved annual tradition once again proved that great chili brings people together. In fact, attendees traveled from as far away as Colorado to enjoy the festivities and sample the many delicious chili creations!
The Ludlow Rotary Club extends a huge thank-you to all the talented chili makers who shared their recipes and culinary skills with the crowd. Their hard work and creativity made this year’s competition a flavorful success.
And the Winners Are…
The judges for this year’s competition included Steve Messina, Sarah Sheehan and Tina Danyew (Ludlow Realtors), who had the challenging task of tasting the entries and selecting their favorites.
Judges’ Results:
- Best Overall Chili: Better with Bacon by Wallingford Locker
- Team Spirit: Devil in Disguise by Mojo Café
- Spiciest: The Reaper by Squeels on Wheels
People’s Choice Award:
- 1st Place: Devil in Disguise – Mojo Café
- 2nd Place Two-way tie: Better with Bacon – by Wallingford Locker and Bird’s Nest – Shelli Steinfeld
- 3rd Place Two-way tie: Ian’s 10 Pepper Palooza – Ian Gordan and Pew Burner – Contractors 4 Christ
- 4th Place: Honorable Mention: Castle Harvest Chili – The Castle Resort
Congratulations to all our winners and participants. Every chili maker helped make this year’s cook-off a memorable culinary adventure.
Thank You, Ludlow!
An event of this size takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and community support. The Ludlow Rotary Club would like to express its sincere appreciation to all of our chili sponsors, chili makers, tent sponsors, in-kind sponsors, volunteers, and attendees. Your generosity, time, and enthusiasm are what keep this 35-year tradition going strong. Event sponsors included: Homestyle Restaurant, Jeff Milligan & Associates, Inc., Lavalleys Building Supply, Okemo Mountain Resort, Singletons VT, Inc., Wright Construction, Belmont Septic Design, Burns & Associates, James A. Young, PC, Ted Stryhas Builders, Stemwinder, Summit Solutions Property Services, American Legion #36, Aubuchons, Black River Mechanical Services, Chef Mei, David Ladd Fine Art, Green Mountain Fireside Specialties, HB Energy Solutions, Prime Lending – Victoria Blodgett, Side Hill Cronchers and Wine & Cheese Depot. Our 2026 tent sponsors included: Cota & Cota, Ludlow Sunoco, A Friend of Rotary, Mary W. Davis Realtor, William Raveis VT Properties and Okemo Mountain Resort. Our in-kind sponsors include: Benson’s Chevrolet, DJ’s Restaurant, Okemo Mountain Resort, The Castle, Shaws Supermarket, The Hatchery, Frank Ellison and Four Square Hospitality. Thank you so much sponsors!
We are especially grateful to everyone who traveled near and far to join us. Seeing some annual familiar faces and new visitors come together under a beautiful Vermont fall sky reminds us why this event continues to be a favorite year after year.
The Ludlow Rotary Club is proud to support our community through service, fundraising, and fellowship. Proceeds from our events help us continue our community service efforts and support local needs.
Thank you for making our 35th Annual Chili Cook-off a tremendous success!
🌶️ We’ll see you next year for another round of chili, competition, and community fun!
For more information about the Ludlow Rotary Club and its community projects, visit www.ludlowrotary.com celebrating 100 years of community and international service!
Ludlow Rotary Club — Serving Ludlow, Mount Holly, Cavendish and Plymouth - Service Above Self!
