Kirk C. Watkins, Jamestown. On Sunday, January 26, 2020, the community of Jamestown came together to participate in one of its most anticipated events, and the most successful fundraiser for Jamestown Elementary School, the Chili Cook-off and silent auction. The Chili Cook-off has been held annually since the late nineties in different incarnations and has been solidified as one of the top draws for town participation.  

The Chili Cook-off started in 1998 as an event put on by Jamestown Area Musicians (J.A.M.), Jamestown Area Artists and Musicians, which is a local non-profit organization that was created with the mission of fostering a sense of community in the Jamestown area, and that supports many of the events in Jamestown throughout the year. 

The first Chili Cook-off was called “Beat the Night.” It featured area musicians and a chili cook-off. The event was considered such a success that they held another event the next year with a “Blues Night” theme. These were followed by a Zydeco night with a jambalaya contest and a Rock Opera. When J.A.M. initially became a non-profit and began raising money through grants, Beth Brotherton, the current assistant principal of the school, organized a fundraiser for the school in the same spirit as the previous events. 

The current incarnation of the Jamestown Chili Cook-off has been in place since around 2003. According to Mrs. Brotherton, “It is a cool event, and everybody participates. The community members donate to the auction. This community is an amazing place to live.” She explained that they eagerly anticipate the event every year and donate many of the articles in the silent auction. Even people that have moved out of the community still send donations to support the school.

This year proved to be no different as the Town Hall started filling up in the late afternoon in anticipation of the delectable fares. At six o’clock sharp, the steaming crock pots were opened to the hungry attendees and bowls were filled with steaming chili, topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Twenty-six chilies were entered into the contest, and the expert panel of guest judges began the arduous process of whittling down the entries into the top three of the day.

The judges for the contest this year were Rainbow Schultz, Daniel Asher, and Karen Auvinen. Rainbow Schultz is the proprietor of the Jamestown Mercantile, and a mainstay in the judging ranks for this event. Daniel Asher is a renowned chef, restauranteur and owner of the popular “River and Woods”, a restaurant in North Boulder. Karen Auvinen was also a former chef at the Jamestown Mercantile and is the author of the recently published book entitled Rough Beauty, which describes forty years of mountain living, including twenty years in Jamestown.

When the votes were cast, three chilies stood above the rest. First place was Aaron Rutledge of Jamestown, with a Pork Green Chili. This was a second win for Mr. Rutledge. He had also won in 2015 with a Pork Green Chili. He explained that the chili is his own recipe and requires a two-day cooking process. He said he used Hatch and Anaheim chilies for this year’s batch but said that it is an ever-changing recipe. 

“I’m excited, it’s a good competition and so every chili is incredible,” he said, when asked about winning this year’s competition, “but next year I think I will try to use more fresh chilies.” 

The second-place winner was Mary Jill Fransen, with a more traditional tomato-based chili. Mary Jill is new to Jamestown Elementary with her oldest child in kindergarten. This was her first time entering the chili cook-off.

“It’s a recipe I got years ago out of a cookbook, and I just adapted it to the tastes of my family,” she said. When asked about her initial reaction to the event, she said, “It was really fun and exciting, I was surprised how many community members attended as well as school people. I heard them say how they looked forward to this every year.”

Third place was Bethany Watkins, who also entered a Pork Green Chili. 

“I’m happily surprised to have placed,” she said, when asked how she felt about her award, “It felt more like a family win, considering my whole family participated in making the chili.”

The people’s choice award went to Jenn Baumber, with a vegetarian chili this year. A veteran of the competition, she has submitted a chili for eight consecutive years. This was the first win for Jenn. 

“I never win anything,” she said, “I just got the recipe off of the internet. I’m really happy and surprised!” 

The chili competition and silent auction is the largest grossing fundraiser for Jamestown Elementary. The average amount raised is approximately $3000.00. After donations and the silent auction were counted, this year’s total exceeded the average, coming in at $3191.00. The generosity of the community was proven once again with its direct beneficiaries being the children of Jamestown Elementary.

(Originally published in the February 6, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)