LELAND — For anyone who has what they consider a chili recipe that will knock someone’s socks off, then the Chili Cooking Contest at this year’s Leland Frog Fest is where they need to be.
The festival is set to begin 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Oct. 5 in historic downtown Leland along Third Street.
The chili contest is a long-running tradition of the festival and always a highlight of the event. There aren’t many who don’t love a good, savory, heart-warming bowl of chili, especially in the fall.
A team of chili cookers prep and cook all morning, enticing festival goers with their delicious recipes and persuading them for a People’s Choice Award vote.
Five dollars will buy festival goers a tasting spoon, souvenir cup, which allows unlimited chili tasting and a vote for the People’s Choice of chili cooking.
The People’s Choice Award isn’t the only perk, but the winning team will receive a cash prize and never-ending bragging rights for the best chili.
Another award up for grabs is a beautiful piece of Pottery made by Leland’s own Nancy King.
The more competition the better, and to register a Chili team, download the packet and application at lelandchamber.com/page/Frogfest or from the Frog Fest Facebook page.
A $50 registration fee per team is required, and payment must be received no later than one week prior to the festival date. The Planning Committee reserves the right to cancel the festival due to inclement or dangerous weather. No refund will be offered as a result of such cancellation.
The goal of the chili competition is to create a fun competition for everyone to enjoy. All types of organizations are encouraged to participate in the Chili Cook-Off including corporate teams, families/children, churches, social organizations, government entities, and groups of friends. Teams are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner during the competition, and team captains are expected to ensure their team members are conducting themselves appropriately. The Chili Cook-Off Committee reserves the right to remove any individual who is not acting appropriately.
Other Frog Fest activities
New happenings to look forward to at this year’s festival include a magic show and a kayak and canoe paddle sponsored by the Delta Paddlers Association and the Deer Creek Water Association.
Leland Chamber of Commerce executive director Mary Anne Brocato said the two associations have never done this before —a kayak and canoe paddle from Stoneville to Leland in an effort to promote paddle sports on Deer Creek with the eventual goal of opening all 155 miles of Deer Creek for paddling through five counties and 13 towns.
Following the group paddle, Delta Outdoors from Cleveland will have a booth set up where people can take a test ride in various kayaks on Deer Creek.
The paddling will start at 9 a.m. and interested participants will need to meet with association members behind the Delta Council building in Stoneville. The paddling route from Stoneville to Leland will be between two and a two and half hours long, ending around 11:30 a.m.
Participation is free of charge and open to the public, the bigger the group the better. Those interested are encouraged to visit the association’s Facebook page @deltapaddlers.
Frog Fest will also be hosting a variety of pop-up vendors along Third Street during the day. Vendors are highly encouraged to sign up as there is more than enough capacity to accommodate all vendors who wish to participate.
This year’s festival will include gumbo, tamale and several other delicious food vendors. For more information on how to sign up as a vendor, email lelandcoc@gmail.com.
With the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival being canceled this year, the 20th annual Highway 61 Blues Festival is returning to Leland to join Frog Fest.
Musical entertainment is set to run from 11 am. to 10 p.m. on Third Street to coincide Frog Fest.
“This was a good weekend for Highway 61 Blues Festival and the Frog Festival so we decided to do them in conjunction,” Brocato said. “We’ve had it here for 15 or 16 years and now it’s coming back home.”
Featured entertainers this year are Pat Thomas, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Libby Rae Watson, Bill Able and Cadillac John Nolden, The Zach Day Band, The John Horton Band, Lightnin Malcolm, Eden Brent, and Super Chikan and his Fighting Cocks.
Throughout the festival, there will once again be several free children’s activities for youngsters to enjoy, including train rides, face painting, balloon art and more.
For more information, visit their Facebook page, email lelandcoc@gmail.com, visit lelandchamber.com/page/Frogfest or call 662-379-3764.
