Gilpin County chili cook-off raised $1,694 for local fire departments.
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The 17 chili pots lined up before the start of the chili cook-off. Crock pots were used to keep the chili hot.
Susan Green from Very Nice Brewing announcing the winners of the 2026 Timberline/Nederland Chili Cook-Off. Dave Briggs won for red while Kaia Cole won for green.
Silent auction opera tickets prize basket. As well as the ticket certificate, the basket included opera swag like t-shirts, a coffee mug, and a seat cushion.
GILPIN COUNTY — Very Nice Brewing in Gilpin County (verynicebrewing.com) hosted the Timberline/Nederland Fire Departments’ Chili Cook-Off event on Sunday, April 12, 2026, to raise funds for both fire departments.
The event featured 17 chili contestants, a silent auction for opera tickets, and two nights’ stay at the Ameristar…and bragging rights for cooking the best chili in the Peak to Peak region.
The proceeds from the chili, hot dogs, corn dogs, and silent auction prizes were split between the two departments. The fundraiser took in $724 for the chili and hot dogs and $970 in silent auction prizes for a total of $1,694, with each department receiving $847.
Everyone who bought a ticket to the cook-off could get a sampling cup from any of the 17 chilis. They also got a voting slip with all 17 chilis listed and could mark the one they tasted with a score from 1 to 4, with a higher number being a better recommendation. The voting for best red and green chili was based on the total recommendation points.
Dave Briggs took the honors for red chili, while Steve Craig placed second. In the green chili competition, Kaia Cole came in first and Barbara Hardt placed second.
The three silent auction items brought high offers, boosting the total proceeds for the fundraiser.
Central City Opera (centralcityopera.org) donated two tickets to any of their operas this summer. Ameristar Black Hawk (ameristarblackhawk.com) donated two nights’ stay at the Ameristar including dining and massage. Rick’s Steakhouse (ricksteakhouse.com) donated a restaurant gift certificate for two.
Susan Green from Very Nice was instrumental in hosting the fundraiser. She said that she was glad to help the fire departments and had held a chili cook-off previously at the Nederland Very Nice location in the shopping center.
For more information about the fire departments or becoming a volunteer firefighter, contact Nederland Fire Department (nfpd.org) or Timberline Fire Protection District (timberlinefire.com).
