The Chilympiad was a Texas tradition held annually in the second week of September from 1970 to 2002. It originated in San Marcos, Texas at Aquarena Springs, but in 1974, was relocated to its permanent headquarters at the Hays County Civic Center, also in San Marcos. The event was a competition of chili cooking. Winners of the contest automatically qualified for the World Championship Chili Cookoff at Terlingua, Texas. [1]
The rules were few and simple, being no more than:
In response to the second rule, another cookoff was established in Luckenbach, Texas named "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned," in which the winners similarly qualify for the world championship cookoff. [1]
In 2001, the Chilympiad was scheduled for September 14 and 15. The September 11 attacks severely impacted participation and attendance at the event. The event lost $30,000. Attendance improved for 2002, but the event lost $19,000. Chilympiad was cancelled for 2003. Although the El Jefe Association, which organized the annual event, hoped to revive the festival in 2004, they were not able to recoup from previous losses, and was terminated hereafter. [2]
Hays County is a county on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. Hays County is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, its official population had reached 157,107. The county seat is San Marcos. Hays, along with Comal and Kendall counties, was listed in 2017 as one of the nation's ten fastest-growing large counties with a population of at least ten thousand. From 2015 to 2016, Hays County, third on the national list, had nearly ten thousand new residents during the year. Comal County, sixth on the list, grew by 5,675 newcomers, or 4.4 percent. Kendall County, the second-fastest-growing county in the nation, grew by 5.16 percent. As a result of this growth, the counties have experienced new home construction, traffic congestion, and greater demand for public services. Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, grew by 1.75 percent during the year, but its sheer number of new residents exceeded 33,000.
Caldwell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,066. Its county seat is Lockhart. The county was founded in 1848 and named after Mathew Caldwell, a ranger captain who fought in the Battle of Plum Creek against the Comanches and against Santa Anna's armies during the Texas Revolution. Caldwell was also a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Brewster County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,232. Its county seat and only city is Alpine. The county is named for Colonel Henry Percy Brewster, a Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.
Geronimo is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Guadalupe County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,032 at the 2010 census, up from 619 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Chili con carne, meaning 'chili with meat', is a spicy stew containing chili peppers, meat, and often tomatoes and beans. Other seasonings may include garlic, onions, and cumin. The dish originated in northern Mexico or southern Texas.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003. It was previously held in the Astrodome. It is considered to be the city's "signature event", much like New Orleans's Mardi Gras, Dallas's Texas State Fair, San Diego's Comic-Con and New York City's New Year's Eve at Times Square.
Pumpkin chucking, or for rhyming purposes Punkin Chunkin and Pumpkin Chunking, is the sport of hurling or 'chucking' a pumpkin solely by mechanical means for distance. The devices used include slingshots, catapults, centrifugals, trebuchets, and pneumatic cannons.
Winter Guard International (WGI) is an American performing arts association, governing body, and the producer of regional championship events for three activities: color guard, percussion ensembles, and small marching bands. WGI's competitive season is January to March, ending with an annual World Championships in April; hence, "winter" in the association's name.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, musical, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the largest organization of its type in the world.
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, formerly Aquarena Springs and later the Aquarena Center, is an educational center in San Marcos, Texas, dedicated to the preservation of the unique archeological and biological resources of Spring Lake. Visitors can take glass-bottomed boat tours of Spring Lake and view live native animals and fish in the Discovery Center.
The San Marcos River rises from the San Marcos Springs, the location of Aquarena Springs, in San Marcos, Texas. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the Texas Blind Salamander, Fountain Darter, and Texas Wild Rice. The river is a popular recreational area, and is frequented for tubing, canoeing, swimming, and fishing.
Strahan Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in San Marcos, Texas. It is a $8.8 million facility built in 1982 and is home to the Texas State University Bobcats men's basketball team, women's basketball team and women's volleyball team.
Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos is a five-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Texas, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The metropolitan area is situated in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, and borders Greater San Antonio to the south.
A cook-off is a cooking competition where the contestants each prepare dishes for judging either by a select group of judges or by the general public. Cook-offs are very popular among competitors with very similar dishes, such as chili, and serves as a way to decide which recipe is the best for that particular dish.
Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Established in 1899 as the Southwest Texas State Normal School, it opened in 1903 to 303 students. Since that time it has grown into the largest institution in the Texas State University System and the fifth-largest university in the state of Texas with an enrollment of over 38,500 students for the 2018 fall semester. It has ten colleges and about fifty schools and departments.
Bobcat Ballpark is a baseball venue in San Marcos, Texas on the campus of Texas State University. It is home of the Texas State Bobcats baseball team of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. It currently holds 2,400 spectators. In 2008, the baseball and softball stadiums were renovated and expanded to its current design. In addition, four luxury suites for up to 12 people were added. The renovations made their debut on March 5, 2009 against the Texas Longhorns with a record setting 2,593 people.
Matt Timms is a promoter of American food events, in particular a "legendary" series of casual "takedown" competitions in which local amateur chefs compete to cook a particular ingredient. Timms is credited as one of the first of a wave of promoters to launch public amateur food contests in New York City and throughout the United States in the early 2000s.
The American Cowboy Culture Association is an organization based in Lubbock, Texas, which seeks to promote and preserve the western history and culture of the late 19th and early 20th century American cowboy. Founded in 1989, the association is principally known as a sponsor of the annual National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration. The 2013 symposium was held from September 5 to 8.
The 2020 PBA Tour season, the 61st season of play for the U.S. Professional Bowlers Association's ten-pin bowling tour, began on January 14, 2020 with the PBA Hall of Fame Classic in Arlington, Texas.
Coordinates: 29°50′46″N97°57′20″W / 29.84611°N 97.95556°W
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