LUMBERTON — Break out your apron and dust off your biggest pot, the Michelob Ultra North of the Border Chili Festival is right around the corner.
Part of Lumberton’s annual Rumba on the Lumber festivities, the chili cook-off will be held on March 5. But teams can begin signing up now to have their best chili recipe entered into the contest, which is marking its 15th year.
Prizes will be awarded in about 14 categories, including Best Tasting, Strangest Ingredient, Spiciest and Best Cooking Outfit.
“I always look forward to the strangest ingredient and the group that gets dressed up every year,” said organizer James Granger, referring to the 2015 winners for Best Cooking Outfit who donned Octoberfest themed-garb. “It’s always pretty entertaining to see what they dress up as.”
Teams can arrive at the corner of West Third and Water streets on March 5 after 6 a.m. Cooking begins at 8 a.m. and judging at 10:45 a.m. The public will be invited to sample the goods starting at 11 a.m. Each team must cook at least 10 gallons of chili. The contest application stipulates that all chili cooking must be done on site, although meat can be browned ahead of time.
Team entry is $25 and includes T-shirts, a table, serving items and a team banner. All other equipment must be provided by the cooking team. No more than 50 teams can enter and no more than five people can make up each team.
Granger said 23 teams have already signed up to participate, a big increase over this time last year.
“Spots are starting to fill up pretty fast. There are a lot of new teams this year … A lot of public servants are coming out which is great,” he said.
The public can join in for $5, which includes unlimited chili tasting and three “adult beverages” provided by R.A. Jeffrey’s. Proceeds benefit the Lumberton Football Association. Greensboro-based Smitty and the JumpStarters will provide the music with its mix of swing, blues “and a big dose of Chuck Berry,” according to the band’s website.
“Instead of having the same thing each year, we’re trying to have different bands from different parts of the state with different styles of music,” Granger said.
To get a copy of the chili contest application, visit robesonroadrunners.com or call Granger at 910-827-5542.
Rumba on the Lumber will be held March 4 through March 6 in downtown Lumberton. A full schedule of events can be found at robesonroadrunners.com.
