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Waynesboro: Chili cook-off draws crowds to downtown

Chris Graham

Story and Photos by Chris Graham
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The second annual Chili Blues ‘N Brews Cook-off was pushed back a day by the dud of a storm that was Hanna, but the delay didn’t dampen turnout at the Downtown Waynesboro event.

“We were right at where we were last year,” said Rick Moyer, the events coordinator for Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc., the sponsor of the cook-off, which drew 1,100 people to the downtown district on Sunday.

The cook-off had been scheduled for Saturday. WDDI made the call on Friday to push the event back a day in light of weather forecasts that had Waynesboro in line to get 4 to 6 inches of rain associated with Hanna late Friday night and into Saturday.

The Augusta Free Press and The New Dominion were on hand as sponsors of the Waynesboro YMCA’s kiddie zone that featured a set of inflatables with an obstacle course, moonwalk and slide that gave children attending the event something fun to do.

  

Winners

International Chili Society Chef
First Place: Carrie Parker, Leesburg
Second Place: Christian Parker, Leesburg
Third Place: Thomas and Bobby Epperly, Roanoke

People’s Choice
First Place: Jeff Glass, Kevin Wray, Michael Blinn, Waynesboro
Second Place: Mark Moser, Stuarts Draft
Third Place: Greg Kniemeyer, Reston

Best Smokin’ Booth: Patricia Snoddy, Charlottesville

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].