17th Annual
Chili Cook-Off

Taste chili from local teams, vote for your favorite and spend a fall afternoon with neighbors. Every ticket helps a homeless pet find a family.

Saturday, November 7, 1–4pm
Texas Humane Heroes Leander Adoption Center

Get tickets Enter a chili team Sponsor

Date

Saturday, Nov 7, 2026

Time

1:00 to 4:00pm

Where

10930 E. Crystal Falls Pkwy, Leander

Tickets

Buy online, includes tasting wristband

Cooking, vending, sponsoring or donating to the auction? Register by October 12 so our team can save your spot.

Leander’s favorite fall chili cook-off

For 17 years, Leander has gathered every fall to taste chili, crown a champion and raise money for pets in need. Local chili teams bring their best recipes, and you get to sample them all and vote for your favorite.

Bring the whole family. Every ticket, taste and auction bid supports Texas Humane Heroes and our mission to end pet homelessness and keep pet ownership affordable.

What’s on the menu

Chili tasting. Sample every team’s recipe and vote for People’s Choice.
Live music. Settle in with a bowl and enjoy the afternoon.
Beer and wine. The bar is open 1 to 4pm for guests 21 and over.
Kids’ activities. Face painting and fun for the little ones.
Silent auction. Bid on local goods and experiences until 3:45pm.
Local vendors. Shop booths from small businesses around the area.

Event schedule

Gates open at 1pm. Come early for the best selection; popular pots have run dry before 3pm in past years.

8:00am

Chili teams begin setting up

1:00pm

Gates open: tasting, music, bar, kids’ activities, vendors and silent auction

1:00pm

Judges start calling teams to the stage

3:30pm

People’s Choice votes due

3:45pm

Silent auction closes

4:00pm

Winners announced, event wraps up

Four ways to be a chili hero

Come hungry

Grab a ticket and wristband, taste every chili and vote for your favorite.

Get tickets

Cook for a cause

Enter a team for $30, including two wristbands, and compete for up to $500. Read the chef guide.

Enter a chili team

Bring your business

Reserve a vendor table and meet hundreds of local families in one afternoon.

Become a vendor

Sponsor or donate

Put your brand in front of the community, or donate an item to the silent auction.

Sponsor or donate

What the chefs are cooking for

Judges score every pot on stage, and guests pick the People’s Choice with their votes. Here’s what’s on the line.

Judges’ Choice

Cash prize, two event aprons and a TXHH tote packed with a griller’s bundle

Judges’ Choice

Cash prize, two event aprons and a TXHH tote packed with a griller’s bundle

Judges’ Choice

Cash prize, two event aprons and a TXHH tote packed with a griller’s bundle

Judges’ Choice

Cash prize, two event aprons and a TXHH tote packed with a griller’s bundle

Enter a chili team Read the chef guide

Scenes from past cook-offs

Sixteen years of chili, friends and four-legged fans.

Every bowl helps a pet find home

Texas Humane Heroes is a nonprofit, No Kill 501(c)(3). Since 1979 we’ve worked with more than 50 shelter partners across Texas to rescue dogs and cats at risk of euthanasia and give them a second chance.

This year’s goal is $60,000. It funds affordable spay and neuter care, high-volume adoptions, and programs that help families keep the pets they love.

See what we do

Frequently asked questions

Yes. There’s face painting and kids’ activities all afternoon, and families are welcome.

Yes. Chili teams serve guests wearing a tasting wristband, which comes with your ticket. Buying online ahead of time is the fastest way in.

Register on our event page by October 12. Entry is $30 per team and includes two wristbands. The chef guide covers setup times, health code rules and judging.

People’s Choice votes are due at 3:30pm, and winners are announced at the end of the event.

Every dollar supports Texas Humane Heroes’ rescue, adoption, spay/neuter and pet retention programs.