Hanging Dog – Hanging Dog General Store held its fourth annual Chili Cook-off on Saturday to benefit the community, with more than 400 people stopping by.
The chili taste testing started at 4 p.m., when attendees could pay $5 to try all of the chili in the contest and vote for their favorite. The first-place winner of the cook-off was Taylor Ledford, who earned the top $200 cash prize; second place went to Jim Barr, who won $100; and third place went to John Walter, who took home $50.
“We appreciate our customers, family and neighbors, and enjoyed spending time with everyone and eating great food,” said
Tim Lescalleet, owner of Hanging Dog General Store.
From 1-5 p.m., guests enjoyed live music by Woolybooger. Local Moonshiners Huck Stewart and Mark Rogers were on hand to talk with fans and take photos. This event also featured a vendor fair with Poppy’s Mountain Guns & More, Baby Bliss Boutique, Kephart Outdoors and a local resident had blueberry and muscadine grape plants for sale.
Hanging Dog General Store, 2345 Hanging Dog Road, maintains a Free Little Library, where community members can donate and trade books, and the Nantahala Regional Library brought the Bookmobile out for the event. For the kids, Grace’s Painted Faces had a table set up for the entirety of the event, and Aerojump Inc. set up a fire truck bounce house.
Each year, the chili cook-off donates profits to the Hanging Dog Volunteer Fire Department, but the fundraiser was for a specific project this year. The local fire department has started planning the building of a playground for the entire community.
“This would provide a fun, safe space for kids in the community to play and would be a great addition to the community,” Lescalleet said.
The event raised more than $3,000, all of which will go toward the playground project. The fire department is accepting donations.
Lescalleet wanted to thank the companies that contributed to the items up for raffle: Wayne’s Feed Store, Tractor Supply, Tantopia, Sherwin Williams, Julie’s Place, Glitz & Glamour, Murphy Health & Fitness, Unlimited Fitness, Napa, El Manzanillo Mexican Restaurant, Murphy Building Supply, Aligned Therapeutics, First Painting Services, Uniques, Mountain Pets, John C. Campbell
Folk School, Buntastic Tan, Painter Joe, Rare Bird, Emporium, Carolina Orthopedic Massage, Holly Pottery, Designs by Barreis and Poppy’s Mountain Outdoors.
Details: Visit hangingdogstore.com.