Over a Dozen Firehouses, One Spoon: How to Judge Sunday's Chili Cook-Off

The celebrity judges at Sunday's Morton's Firehouse Chili Cook-Off include two Super Bowl champions, an Olympic gold medalist, a former NBA referee and a TV meteorologist, per the organizers' lineup.

You are not on that panel. You do have a spoon, though, and nobody can take your opinions away from you.

The basics

It's Sunday, Oct. 11. Opening ceremonies start at 1:45 p.m., and the chili flows from 2 to 5 p.m. This is the 26th year.

It all happens on Osprey Avenue in front of Morton's Gourmet Market, 1924 S. Osprey Ave., in Sarasota's Southside Village, on the stretch between Hyde Park Street and Hillview Avenue.

Getting in is free. A $15 tasting ticket lets you sample all the chili. That is the best $15 you will spend in Sarasota this week, and I say that as someone who buys a lot of tacos.

Over a dozen firehouses from Sarasota and Manatee County are competing, plus the Sarasota Police Department, which shows up to a firefighters' chili contest with its own chili. That's not a cook-off entry. That's a statement.

The teams compete for Best Firehouse Chili and Best Booth. You'll also find live music, raffle prizes, cold beer and things for the kids to do.

My unofficial scorecard

Score every cup from 1 to 5. Keep it on your phone. Tell no one.

Heat. These people run toward fire for a living. If a chili is mild, ask yourself what they're hiding.

Texture. Beans or no beans is a real argument. Have it later, not in line.

The booth. Best Booth is an actual category, so give points to any crew that commits to the bit.

The comeback. The cup you're still thinking about two booths later is your winner. That's the whole system. The rest is paperwork.

The game plan

Get there for the 1:45 opening ceremonies and start at one end of the street instead of diving into the middle. Drink water between cups. Pace yourself, because three hours goes fast when it's measured in chili.

Osprey Avenue is the venue on Sunday, so it isn't a parking spot. Leave time to park nearby and walk.

And wear sunscreen. October in Sarasota is basically July that learned some manners.

More chili on the calendar

Still hungry after Sunday? The rest of this year's cook-offs I could pin down are up in Tampa, so it's an I-75 situation.

• TOS Chili Cook-Off With a Dash of Trivia, Sunday, Oct. 25, Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa. A chili buffet supper plus trivia from 3 to 5 p.m., $25, and it supports the Tampa Oratorio Singers' 2026-27 season. Chili and composer trivia is a combo I didn't know I needed!
• Chili Cook Off at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Sunday, Nov. 1, Tampa. Local cooks go head to head from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lunch, sorted.

Already planning for 2027? Same. Most of these are closer to home:

• 2nd Annual Venice Chili Cook-Off, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027, Venice. The Venice Nights tailgate-style cook-off is back for year two, with live music and local vendors.
• Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge, Blues & Beer Festival, usually the last Saturday in January (2027 date TBA), Laishley Park in Punta Gorda. This year's had 15 chili teams, 30-plus craft beers and live music on the waterfront, and gate admission was $5!
• Suncoast Builders Association Chili Cook Off, usually February or March (2027 date TBA), Lakewood Ranch. Homemade chili from the building crowd, and non-competitors paid $15 to taste and vote this year.
• Parrish Heritage Festival & Chili Cook-Off, usually early March (2027 date TBA), Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish. A parade, then teams cooking 10 to 15 gallons each, plus an actual Best Firehouse Chili award. Tickets were $10 this year.
• Pinellas Park Firefighters MDA Chili Blaze, usually a Friday night in mid-March (2027 date TBA), Pinellas Park. All-you-can-eat chili armbands were $15 this year, and every dollar goes to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Worth the Skyway.

Where your $15 goes

Proceeds go to the Sarasota Fire Fighter's Benevolent Fund, a 501(c)(3) run entirely by volunteer firefighters and paramedics. It helps Sarasota County firefighters and their families when times get hard. So a second lap is pretty much your civic duty.

Wear a shirt you don't mind getting chili on. You will get chili on it.