Breckenridge Texan

The chuckwagons will be back in Breckenridge this spring for the 2021 Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off, hosted by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce.

The event is scheduled for April 30-May 1 west of the Breck Trade Days building. The chuckwagon teams can compete for hundreds of dollars in prize money, as well as some belt buckles.

The cook-off has traditionally been held in conjunction with the annual Frontier Days event. Last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings, both Frontier Days and the chuckwagon cook-off were canceled by the Chamber Board of Directors. This year, the board voted to again cancel Frontier Days shortly before Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he would be lifting the restrictions on such events.

However, that left little time to prepare for a big event like Frontier Days. So, the board decided to continue with the cancellation of Frontier Days but to hold the chuckwagon cook-off to offer some form of normalcy for the community, Carrie Holson, Executive Director of the Chamber, said.

At this time, the Chamber is seeking chuckwagon teams that want to compete in the cook-off, as well as sponsors for the event. There will be two types of sponsors this year: Campfire Sponsors and Wagon Team Sponsors.

The Campfire Sponsors will be invited to join the chuckwagon cooks around the campfire for fellowship and live music by Kyle Fambro on Friday, April 30. For $150, the sponsors will receive: social media recognition, their business name displayed on Friday night at the Campfire event, recognition in the Chamber Corner and two invitations to the Friday Night Campfire.

The Chuckwagon Team sponsorships cost $500 each. The sponsors will receive event advertising, event site recognition and 10 chuckwagon meal tickets.

The cook-off will feature competitions in the categories of meat, bread, beans, potatoes and dessert. There also will be prizes awarded for the Best Wagon Authenticity and Camp, and Best Overall (wagon and food). There also will be prizes in the categories of Wild Card, Pot Wrestler and Hospitality. Additionally, there will be a drawing for a $500 Chuckwagon Award, sponsored by Resist-All Electric.

The deadline to register a chuckwagon for the cook-off will be Wednesday, April 7. There is a registration fee of $150 that will be refunded for those who register by April 7. Additionally, the first 15 chuckwagons to register will be eligible for some travel expense funds.

For more information about registering a chuckwagon or sponsoring the event, call Holson at 254-559-2301.

Cutline, top photo: Members of the R Bar D chuckwagon from Canton tend to their wagon site during the 2018 Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off in Breckenridge. The R Bar D won several first place awards at the event. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

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