(Graphic courtesy of Think Wild)
Our delicious fall fundraiser is back again this year and we want YOU to show off your favorite chili recipe!
Contestants will make and serve chili at the event and compete to win in five categories:
- Best All Around – Professional Chef
- Best All Around – Amateur Chef
- Wildest Chili (spicy, unique ingredients, fun presentation)
- Best Vegan or Vegetarian Chili
- Best Chili Side Dish
Event Details:
- Saturday, November 7
- 4-7 pm
- Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon – 61980 Skyline Ranch Road, Bend
Contestants should plan to:
- Prepare their chili in a commercial kitchen space (see note below) – Think Wild will have kitchen space available the day before the event
- Follow all food safety preparation, heating, cooling, and storage guidelines
- Serve chili from a crockpot or chafing dish to keep food warm (electrical outlets + extension cords provided)
- Stay for the duration of the event
- List the ingredients and/or allergens in their food
- Make enough for ~300 small tastings (cups and spoons provided)
- If desired, hand out recipes, flyers etc
- Bring 1 helper to support serving and allow for breaks (contestant + helper get free admission to the event)
IMPORTANT NOTE: All temperature-controlled foods (chili, soups, stews, etc.) must be prepared in an approved kitchen facility. We will have commercial kitchen space available for food prep the day before the event, or you can prepare your chili at a food truck, catering space, school, church, community center, or restaurant kitchen if you have access to that. Cornbread and other sides can be prepared in a home kitchen as long as they do not need to stay hot/cold to be safe for consumption.
Learn More and Sign Up!
Early Bird Tickets Now Available! 🐦
Want to taste and judge delicious chili instead of joining the competition?
Early bird tickets are now on sale!
🐦 Reserve a table: $500 – includes 8 admission tickets and reserved seating
🐦 Adult Early Bird: $45
🐦 Youth Early Bird (12 and under): $20
🐦 Children under 3: Free
Admission includes one sample of each chili and side dish!
Buy Your Tickets!
Now Announcing the Youth Nature Access Fund
We are excited to announce our participation in an exciting new collaborative fundraising effort: the Youth Nature Access Fund.
We know how meaningful time in nature can inspire curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong commitment to conservation for local youth. Through our school programs, summer camps, and hands-on wildlife education, we’ve also seen the barriers that prevent many children from participating. Transportation costs, program fees, and limited school resources often mean that not every child has the same opportunity to connect with the natural world.
That’s why Think Wild is proud to join six other Central Oregon organizations in launching the Youth Nature Access Fund. Together, we’re working to raise $50,000 by October 2026 to help remove these barriers through transportation assistance, scholarships, and mini-grants that expand access to outdoor education across the region. Your support of Think Wild remains as important as ever and continues to make our wildlife education and conservation programs possible. The Youth Nature Access Fund is a distinct opportunity to strengthen our collective impact so that even more children throughout Central Oregon can experience the outdoors and develop a lasting connection to the wildlife and landscapes we all share.
Funds will be split between partnering organizations (Think Wild, Nature Connect Central Oregon, The Environmental Center, The High Desert Museum, Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, and Camp Fire of Central Oregon), and used to offer mini-grants to qualifying schools and programs.
Donate to the Fund
Turn Spare Change into Wildlife Care
Turn everyday purchases into support for wildlife with Think Wild’s RoundUp Giving Program. Enroll in the program to round up credit card purchases to the nearest dollar, and your spare change will be donated to Think Wild, helping us provide lifesaving care for injured and orphaned wildlife, conserving local ecosystems, and educating the community.
