Location:
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Driving Directions:
Assuming you're using I-35 to get to Round Rock, take exit 252B to get to Palm Valley Blvd. Head east for 3.4 miles, passing Grimes Blvd, until you reach Harrell Parkway on your left. Make this turn, and you'll pass by the Dell Diamond on your right. Take this road for 1.1 miles, over a low-water crossing, and then up a hill and around some curves, until you get to the parking area for the Lakeview Pavillion. If, when you arrive, you find the parking area is full, you'll find another parking area about 800 feet further up the road.
Chili Teams from all over Texas will delight you with an
amazing array of delicious, healthy, meatless chilis as
they compete for best chili and best booth!
2011 CHILI COOK-OFF RESULTS:
Judges' Select:
- 1st place:
Philip and Vickie Stiefer with Pirates of the Chili-bean, Elgin-
"Shiver Me Timbers Chili"
- 2nd place:
Bradly Oden with Butcher Shop of Horrors, Austin-
"True Vegan Chili"
- 3rd place (tie):
Megan Newhouse-Bailey with Vegan Moms of Austin-
"Cashew Taste Explosion Chili"
Don Barnes/Alice Strong with Friends of Animals/Primarily Primates, San Antonio-
"Quintessensual Chili"
People's Choice:
Don Barnes/Alice Strong with Friends of Animals/Primarily Primates, San Antonio-
"Quintessensual Chili"
- Honorable Mention #1:
Vegeria Vegan Tex-Mex & American Cuisine, San Antonio
- Honorable Mention #2:
Megan Newhouse-Bailey with Vegan Moms of Austin-
"Cashew Taste Explosion Chili"
Best in Show (booth theme):
Don Barnes/Alice Strong with Friends of Animals/Primarily Primates, San Antonio
Live Music by the Karen Goh Band
Farmers Market
Animal Adoption and Outreach
Chili Tasting Prices:
Adults (13 and up): $8 - Children 6-12 years: $4 - 5 and under: free!
(CASH ONLY AT THE GATE)
The Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off began as an annual event in 1989, when four vegetarian societies from across the state of Texas joined to form the Lone Star Vegetarian Network. In the years since, the cook-off has been held in multiple locations all across the state, including West Columbia, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, El Paso, South Padre Island, Fort Worth, and for a run of several years in Austin. This year's event will benefit the Texas Humane Legislation Network, the voice for animals in the Texas Legislature. The Cook-Off is returning to the site of the 2010 cook-off, at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.
The goals of the Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off are first, to have fun and entertain everyone, and second to show everybody by example that "regular" foods can be just as tasty when they're prepared vegetarian. Vegetarian food can come in very familiar and very delicious forms, and the classic Tex-Mex tradition of chili is a perfect example.
Every year nearly 1000 people come to taste the chilis prepared by around twenty different teams from all over the state of Texas. These chilis are all completely vegan, no animal products used in their preparation whatsoever. In addition to the competing chili teams, there are many informational and educational booths, products and services offered by local vendors, door prizes, giveaways and guest speakers, and live music and entertainment. People who pay to taste the chilis will move from team to team, tasting and judging the chilis for themselves to determine the People's Choice award of $250, while a group of judges, many of them Austin and Texas celebrities and personalities, judge the three winners of Best Chili, as well as Best Booth Theme/Design. Third place takes home $100, second place gets $200, and the Best Chili champion wins $300!
The cook-off is open to the public. If you want to taste the chilis being prepared for competition, the price is only $8 for adults (13 years and older) or $4 for children 6-12 years (free for children 5 and younger!). You get to taste all the vegan chilis and vote for your favorite. If you're interested in competing as a chili cook-off team, or if you're a vendor or organization interested in setting up a booth, please check the "Contestant" and "Exhibitor" links on the left for the information and forms you need.
The Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off has been messin’ with this Texas tradition for 23 years now, keeping chili weird, but also vegan and delicious. Mark your calendar and plan to catch the fun.
Two Cooking Demos with Vegan Chef Christy Morgan!
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A vegan macrobiotic chef, popular food blogger, and native Texan is excited to share her recipes with vegetarians and vegans in her home state. Christy’s new cookbook, Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals That Nourish Mind, Body and Planet (September 2011, BenBella Books), features 175 easy-to-make recipes that use locally grown, organic, plant-based ingredients. Dedicated to sustainable eating, Christy offers delicious, unique recipes that are healthy and environmentally friendly, without sacrificing taste.
Come check out her cooking demos offered throughout the cook-off! |