MOBILE, Ala. — Downtown Mobile is about to smell like a chili parlor. The American Cancer Society’s Chili Cook-Off returns for its 34th year on Saturday, March 11, taking over Canal Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and organizers say the long-running fundraiser remains one of the Gulf Coast’s tastiest ways to support the fight against cancer.
Presented by the American Cancer Society in partnership with Infirmary Health, the four-hour event pairs great food with live music and kid-friendly activities. Admission is $10, with proceeds funding the cancer society’s research and patient-support programs.
How the cook-off works
The competition starts long before the gates open. Teams roll into downtown at 5 a.m. to fire up their cookers and perfect their secret recipes. Judging begins at 10:30 a.m., and the public is admitted at 11 a.m. to sample the entries, enjoy the entertainment and cast their votes for crowd favorites.
At 3 p.m., judges announce this year’s winning chili, closing out an event that has been a Mobile tradition since the late 1980s.
A decades-long Mobile tradition
The Chili Cook-Off has moved around town over the years — past editions have filled Bienville Square, The Grounds in west Mobile and, most recently, Canal Street between Washington Avenue and Broad Street — but its mission has stayed the same: raising money for cancer patients across South Alabama. Funds raised support services such as free rides to treatment through the Road to Recovery program and around-the-clock patient navigation.
Tickets are available at the gate on event day.