LUMBERTON — As participants finished the family mile and the LRA 5K at the Rumba on the Lumber Saturday, a plethora of vendors selling fried foods greeted them.

Funnel cakes, ribbon fries, doughnuts, blooming onions, fried mushrooms, pork rinds, catfish and more lined the streets of downtown Lumberton.

“This is not a good festival to sell food at because all these runners are on diets,” said Bill Prevatte of Bill’s Barbeque.

He offered barbecue sandwiches — his specialty — pork rinds and other foods. Around noon, he was selling mostly fries and hot dogs.

“I think that’s mainly because of the kids,” he said, as a boy with a tiger painted on his face order a hot dog from Prevatte’s daughter and granddaughters. “It’s a family deal. They want money. They have to work.”

Free face-painting, inflatables, rock wall climbing and other activities were available for children. In his first year at the Rumba, Bill projected that he would make $800 to $1,200.

Down the road at the arts and crafts show, Debbie Pardue of Clayton was selling jewelry made from old silverware. She and her father, Grady Pardue Sr. of Sanford, had driven down because their brother and son, Grady Pardue Jr., always talked about the Rumba.

“It’s Grady’s birthday,” Debbie Pardue said. She took the weekend off to celebrate his birthday and consume chili and beer at the festival.

Grady Pardue Jr. and his children were busy cooking chili as the Jamaican Jerks. On Water Street, 38 teams set up booths and cooked chili to be sampled by those wandering through. The street was packed, just enough room for people to shuffle past each other with Styrofoam cups in their hands moving from Third Street to Fifth Street and back down.

“They need a bigger street,” a woman said as she squeezed through a group that had paused to chow down.

David Mann, a resident of Fayetteville who works in Lumberton, comes out each year for the chili.

“I’ve always enjoyed being down here,” he said, chili in hand. “This is the best festival. Every year it just gets bigger. I mean $5 for chili. ... This is just a big draw all around. It’s a fun thing to do. I look forward to it every year.”

Visitors passed by the Wic Chicks, the Pink Hot Chilis with their “Poppin’ Pink” chili, the Spice Girls with “Sugar and Spice” and other teams clothed in costumes and stirring pots.

“I’m all chili-ed out,” a woman said as she left. “I’m going home.”

The Pink Hot Chilis, all We Care For You employees, cloaked themselves in tie-dyed T-shirts, peace sign earrings and large sunglasses. At the back of their booth was a black Volkswagen Beetle. Four-year veteran, they cooked up 8 gallons of a mild white chili with zucchini, pasta, white beans, mushrooms and chicken.

Earlena Locklear, Cecilia Reed and Donna Revels said they enjoy meeting different people and seeing how other groups choose to dress. They don’t get paid for their time, they do it just because it’s fun.

The team from WUKS radio station brewed 6 gallons of “Hot Lips” chili with “all the usual ingredients and sweet-and-hot sauce,” said on-air personality C.J. Thomas. Team member and sales assistant Kristy Sykes, wearing red chili glasses, said the recipe is simple with fresh onion, basil and garlic.

“On a scale of one to 10, it’s about a five,” Thomas said of the chili’s spice factor.

Also four-year veterans, the team plans to return and continue the rivalry with its sister station, Foxy 99.

“If it involves food, absolutely,” Thomas said.

Before announcing the winners, Robeson Road Runner member Jeff Neelon thanked everyone for continuing to support the Rumba festival.

“And especially all the people who got up at 5 a.m. today to cook,” he said.

Plaques and Bud Light hats were awarded in 13 categories. The winners are: restaurant, McDonald’s; business, Walane Gas; public service, Lumberton Police Department; nonprofit, the Silver Eagles, a Boy Scout Troop; health care, Southeastern Regional Medical Center; church, Hyde Park Baptist; school, Fairmont High School; and spiciest, the Top Dog team for “Danger Zone.”

The cow tongue that the Allen Orthopedics team tossed into their chili won the award for strangest ingredient. The Jamaican Jerks team brought in sand for their booth, winning best chili booth.

The best name went to Mueller Steam — a team dressed as pirates — for its “Bean Pirates of the Chilibean.”

A group of seven men dressed in white overalls, slathered in orange face paint and wearing green wigs won best cooking outfit for their portrayal of Oompa Loompas. They cued the music from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and danced up to receive their award.

The Smart Start team took home the plaque for best chili, cooked by a group of women who yelled, jumped and posed for photos while accepting the award.

“If you want to have it done right have a woman do it,” Neelon said.