Chili Cookoff, Elks Hoop Shoot scheduled for Saturday
This Saturday, Dec. 15, Breckenridge will have two activities going on for the community, the Breck Trade Days Chili Cookoff in the morning and the Elks Hoop Shoot in the afternoon.
Chili Cookoff
By Saturday, the weather in Breckenridge should be sunny and not so windy but still cool enough to make everyone really appreciate a hot pot of chili. And, that’s just what will cooking at the second annual Breck Trade Days Chili Cookoff. The contest will take place in the Trade Barn area of the City Park.
The contest is open to anyone, and contestants may register for the competition on the day of the event. There is no entry fee.
The 2018 prizes will include $100 for the winner, $50 for the runner up, and a Chili Cook-off apron for the People’s Choice winner. Entries will be judged on aroma, consistency, red color, taste and aftertaste.
According to the rules, all chili must be made on-site from scratch with no commercially packaged ingredients or fillers. Contestants may begin making their chili on-site at 7 a.m. Each contestant must make at least one gallon of chili. For those planning to cook under the Trade Days barn, only electric or gas grills or stoves will be allowed.Judging and tasting will begin at 11 a.m.
Breck Trade Days vendor booths will be available for shoppers during the chili cook-off. Vendor spots are free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the chili cook-off or vendor spots, call Pam Wright at the City of Breckenridge at 254-559-8287.
Hoop Shoot
The annual Elks Hoop Shoot will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in L.T. Cook Gymnasium at Breckenridge High School, 502 W. Lindsey St. The event is open to boys and girls ages 8 to 13.
The contest is divided into three age groups: 8-9, 10-11 and 12-13. The age groups are based on the participants’ ages as of April 1, 2019.
Participation in the Hoop Shoot, a nationwide free throw contest sponsored locally by Elks Lodge No. 1480, is free for boys and girls. The first and second place winners in each category will receive medals, and the winners will be eligible to participate in the district contest. The Elks Lodge will provide gas money for that trip.
The winners from the district contest will go on to the state competition in Carrollton. The regional hoop shoot will be held in Dallas, and the national contest will be in Chicago. Everything above the district level will be an overnight trip, and the participants and their parents will get to attend the events as guests of the Elks. Last year, four kids from Texas made it to the state competition.
Six national winners — a boy and a girl in each age category — will be named. The national winners will each receive a trophy and have their name inscribed on a plaque in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The top-scoring boy and girl will be named the national champions and will receive the Getty Powell Award.
For more information about the local Hoop Shoot, contact Wayne Justus at 254-477-3941.
