Chili cook-off set to start Fire in the Valley

    Andrews – The competition will be heated at the Fire in the Valley chili cook-off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Hall Memorial Park downtown.
    This is the second annual chili competition fundraiser hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7620. Scott Ramler, commander of the post, said there are already more than a dozen competitors ready to reveal their unique recipes for this year’s competition.
    “It’s pretty regional,” Ramler said, explaining the differences in recipes. “It’s amazing the different flavors each person has.”
    The winners – there will be trophies and cash prizes for first, second and third places – will be decided by popular vote. To sample each chili and have the opportunity to vote costs $5.
    To enter the competition, participants must pay a $20 entry fee and submit an application found at visitandrewsnc.com. Those who wait to enter until the day of the competition must pay an extra $5. The entry fees will be partially used for the cash prizes.
    The event will also include vendors, including booths from Snowbird Mountains Brewery, Hoppy Trout Brewing Co., Andrews Brewing Co. and FernCrest Winery. The Valley River Humane Society’s animal shelter will also be at the event. Those who wish to be a vendor may submit an application found at visitandrewsnc.com.
    The event has grown a lot since last year, when it only brought in five competitors and was held at the post just down the road from the park. For details, call Ramler at 407-718-9485 or VFW Post 7620 at 336-624-2545.