NEW: Chili Crawl list released for 25th annual North Country Chili Cook Off

WATERTOWN- The 'Chili Crawl' format for the 25th annual North Country Chili Cook Off is aimed to begin Thursday, February 1 and the list of participating establishments has been released.

Download and browse the map here!

All funds from the Chili Cook Off help benefit the Volunteer Transportation Center. “We’re excited to once again pair the restaurant-to-restaurant format for the cook-off with our big in-person event the community has come to know and love,” said Jeremiah S. Papineau, Director of Communications and Foundation Director for the VTC.

“We merged the formats last year and it went very well.” Listen to our latest on-air segment for more details:

The North Country Chili Cook-Off had historically been a one-day event at the Dulles State Office Building, held on the first Saturday in February. However, the event was held in a modified format in 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “pub crawl” format focused on hosting a month-long competition among participating restaurants and businesses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties throughout February.

This year, more than 30 locations are participating once again in an abbreviated format from Thursday, Feb. 1, through Wednesday, Feb. 21, leading up to the in-person event at the Dulles State Office Building on Saturday, Feb. 24.

“We’re overwhelmed by the participation from our local restaurants,” said Mr. Papineau.

“We’ve continued to see it grow and grow and it’s gratifying to see how enthusiasm has grown for it, too. We love being able to shine a spotlight on local business.”

The cook-off’s pub crawl format will again involve participating restaurants and businesses making available samples of their chili entries during regular hours of operation, with the public able to vote for their favorites.

Be sure to check out Volunteer Transportation Center's website for more details.

VTC image.