The rain went away, the music came on, the sun came out, and in the afternoon organizers proudly called it the biggest United Way Chili Cook-Off ever.
The crowd was attracted by 50-cent samples of the best chili 16 local cooks could offer and the fact that admission to the event was free.
Moving among the crowd on the beach as the music played loudly became difficult at times because so many people were there and some of them were dancing.
“We love it. It’s fun for the family, it’s free and I like the music,” said Carolyn Thompson of St. Croix. “We come every year,”
She added. “The chili I had samples of were all different and very good.”
“I am having a heck of a good time,” said Stan Vanasse, also of St. Croix.
He did have one question though, asking, “Where’s the Heinekens?”
At Divi Carina Bay Resort there were plenty of activities available beyond drinking beer, listening to music, tasting chili and swimming. New this year was a mechanical bull set in the middle of a blow up cushion to ease the fall. Youngsters had a blast confronting the bull even though they did not last long.
At the Up in Smoke tent there was an old Volkswagen hippie van that Bob White said had been sitting in an abandoned house for 30 years. Cans of paint and brushes were set beside the van and people were encouraged to paint whatever they wanted on the sides of the old vehicle.
Duke Deller, a retired local veterinarian, said it was the first time he attended the cook-off.
“All the chili I sampled was very good,” Deller said, adding that the event was a good way to raise funds.
All the judged chili had to be cooked on the beach, and ingredients were inspected before cooking. Chili was prepared with beef, turkey, pork, chicken, fish and vegetables. Cooks were required to make at least three gallons of chili.
Calabash Realty offered samples of chicken chili with white beans and corn topped with a piece of corn bread that was a delicious alternative to tomato-based chili. At Maria’s Cantina, folks were serving up a hot and spicy vegetarian chili.
Local resident Clark Dauner said he liked the hot ghost chili served at the Bling Bling tent.
“This is incredible,” Dauner said. “The chili is fantastic and very flavorful. And I’m having a great time.”
United Way President Anita Davila had one word for the turnout at the event, “Beautiful.” She was one of many who thought that this was the biggest turnout ever for the annual event.
Country music guests from Nashville provided hot country music and got the crowd heated up and moving, as did St. Croix’s Xpress Band.
Prizes were awarded to the top 10 chili cooks and top three vegetarian chili cooks and prizes for showmanship were also awarded to three teams. One winner will be sent to represent St. Croix at the national cook-off in Terlingua, Texas, with airfare, RV rental and entrance fee included.
United Way funds six local human services agencies, including Bethlehem House, Catholic Charities, Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol, Legal Services and Interfaith Coalition.
Major sponsors for the cook-off were Coors Light, distributed by Bellows International, Divi Carina Bay Resort, Diageo USVI, JKC Communications, Executive Insurance Service, Cruzan Rum, Caribbean Country 93.5, Seaborne, and Choice Communications.