Having attended the United Way Chili Cook-off numerous times, I have two pieces of advice to those who either have never gone before or don’t easily learn from past mistakes:

1) Don’t wear a jacket or sweatshirt into the event. It’s pretty warm outside this year, so maybe you wouldn’t have done that anyway, but my point is that no matter what the weather is like outside, there are 40 different kinds of chili being cooked for a giant crowd of people inside. It gets hot.

2) It’s best to go to this event with someone you don’t mind sharing food with. Instead of the two of you getting two portions of everything, just get one portion and share. If you like that particular chili, get a second portion. If you don’t, move on. You don’t want to waste a lot of time and stomach on a chili you don’t like, because there are many that you will like if you can get to them before they run out.

2009 United Way Chili Cook-off
Sept. 17 | 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. | DECC
$6 for adults; $3 for kids

Also, I should note two art openings going on tonight (Sept. 17) for your post-chilifest enjoyment:

1) “Burning Bridges,” new paintings by Eric Dubnicka at Washington Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m.

2) Photography by Nate Lindstrom at the Spiritual Deli from 7 to 9 p.m.