As is expected this time of year in Ajijic, it was beautiful and sunny on Sunday, the final day of this year’s Chili Cookoff. The annual fund-raising event was in full swing and Tobolandia park was filled with hungry visitors, eager to try the chili served up by this years contestants, watch some first-rate entertainment and perhaps take home a couple of products from some of the many merchandise stalls.
People couldn’t help but smile as they bought their food tickets to sample the delicious food available and then parked themselves down at one of the tables to catch-up with friends while watching whichever entertaining act was playing at the time.
The raffle-sellers were also grinning as they were successfully selling lots of tickets for the chance to win some of the prizes that were being announced each hour by Chili Cookoff President Jacque Bouchard. There were some great ones to be won this year too, including meals at some of Ajijic’s finest dining establishments, discounts on beautiful jewelry from local shops, dental clean ups and plenty of luxury beauty treatments from spas in the area. Although having said that, there was an offer for a face wax which sounded like a painful sacrifice to make in the name of beauty!
The line to sample competition chili was long and everyone gripped tightly onto their plastic spoons for fear of dropping them and missing out. The contestants were a mishmash of newbies and veterans, with some who had been competing on and off since the mid 2000s and others who had only done it once or twice before.
The great thing about the chilis was that there was a lot of variation. Some had a hot kick to them, others opted for a smokier flavor and one contestant even joked that their secret ingredient was “lots of love and affection.” The ones that differed the most were the vegetarian options. One was made of nuts and shiitake mushrooms with a yummy sauce that masked the lack of meat that some tasters might have missed. The other looked like less your typical chili –for one thing, it was green! It was made of chile verde, carrots, chayote, potato, nuts and veggie chorizo and the combination definitely gave it a delightfully unique taste. All in all, a great effort made by all the competitors and you could tell that each of them were proud of their finished product.
There was lots to be found whilst perusing the vendor stalls. All kinds of clothes, artwork and handicrafts, food and drink and a myriad of services on offer. Some exquisite organic ginger beer made from fresh ingredients found right there in the Chapala area.
Delicious non-alcoholic wine from berries also locally sourced. Mescal liquors that had practically every flavor under the sun. Stunning art pieces made from acrylic but done with a chemical process which resulted in a Jackson Pollack splattered style and could be purchased in the forms of cabinet doors and lazy susans.
Some outstanding handmade jewelry using stones found from across the country and beyond that were encased in sensational silver-work. Rocks and stones from around Mexico had been turned into wonderfully crafted statues and figurines by another vendor. If you didn’t feel like spending your money on something physical you could opt for a therapeutic massage that looked – judging by one of the client’s faces – looked incredibly relaxing.
Throughout the day the music from the stage could be heard echoing around the whole premises and served as an uplifting soundtrack for the event. The entertainment began with some charming Folklorico Ixtlacateotl dancing with dresses twirling and knives clashing. Not an easy feat to do in the morning heat! A quaint duo called La Pura Piña Banda then took to the stage with some cheerful music. Later on, the audience received an informative cultural lesson when after Grupo Neiwama finished their act, which included some jaunty songs in their native language, they spoke about their Huichol culture and beliefs.
Things kicked up a notch with the rock n’ roll music of the Tenampa Brass band and then the Jamm Band brought the entertainment to a grand finish.
All in all it was a delightful time for anyone who attended and with an assortment of engaging activities, tasty food and fun entertainment to enjoy there was bound to be something for everyone.
One of the best things about the event though was the generous spirit that people had and because of that the hard work that went into preparing this fundraiser for all the deserving charities paid off.