Few things sound better on a bitter February afternoon than a hot cup of chili, and in February 2016 Lititz had plenty of both: the bitter cold and the chili. The annual Chili Cook-off got underway downtown as part of the weekend Fire and Ice Festival, with competitors from local organizations bringing their best recipes on behalf of 25 different charities.
Cold enough to make chili the main event
The weather set the stage. Wind chill factors drove temperatures into the teens, and by noon on cook-off day the “real feel” had dropped to about two degrees below zero. For the many locals who came out anyway, that made every steaming sample feel like a public service. A crowd bundled in hats, scarves and gloves moved from table to table, tasting and comparing as the cooks ladled out their entries.
The cook-off’s structure is part of its appeal. Each cook represents a charity, so the competition is about more than bragging rights. Every pot on the table stood for a local cause, and the attention a recipe earned translated into support for the group behind it. With 25 charities in the mix, the event spread its goodwill widely across the community.
Celebrity judges at the table
Alongside the public tasters, a panel of celebrity judges was on hand to weigh in. The panel included a familiar Warwick coach, a member of the Warwick school board, and Jon Gosselin, the former reality television star. Their job was to sample the field and help decide which cooks would leave with the honors, a task that, given the temperature outside, few people envied less than usual.
The mix of judges reflected what the cook-off has always been: a small-town event with a sense of humor that draws people from every corner of community life. Coaches, school officials, business owners and families all turned out for the same reason, which was good food for a good cause.
Part of the Fire and Ice Festival
The Chili Cook-off is one of the anchor events of the Lititz Fire and Ice Festival, a winter weekend that pairs ice carving with comfort food. The 2016 festival kicked off in suitably frigid fashion the night before with a well-attended event in Lititz Springs Park featuring ice carving demonstrations, finished sculptures and live entertainment.
The cold that made cook-off day so uncomfortable had one clear upside. With temperatures forecast to stay below freezing at least through the following Tuesday morning, the ice sculptures placed around town were expected to last several more days. That gave residents who could not make it out over the weekend a chance to stroll by and see the carvings before they began to soften and melt.
For visitors, the combination works well. A walk through the park or along the downtown streets to see the sculptures builds an appetite, and the chili tables offer a warm place to end up. It is a formula that has made Fire and Ice one of the most popular winter traditions in northern Lancaster County.
Sharing the weekend
The festival has long been one of the most photographed weekends of the Lititz year. Glistening sculptures, steaming bowls and crowds in winter gear make for memorable images, and many attendees shared their photos of the ice displays and the cook-off with friends and neighbors online.
Why it keeps drawing a crowd
The cook-off endures because it combines several things Lititz does well. It brings people downtown at a time of year when many would rather stay home. It gives local organizations a friendly stage to raise money and awareness. And it turns the hardest weeks of winter into something to look forward to rather than simply endure.
In 2016 the weather did its best to test that idea. The wind howled and the thermometer barely budged, but the chili kept coming, the charities got their share of attention, and the crowd stayed warm one spoonful at a time. For a town that likes to celebrate in every season, that was a fitting way to spend a February weekend.