The 2026 Chugwater Chili Cookoff and Rodeo celebrated its 40th anniversary last weekend, and the number of people who attended broke all previous records by a long shot. The event featured great bands, great food, and vendors, as well as a pie and hot jalapeno eating contest.
Jalapeno Eating Contest
The contest begins, and the contestants start eating those jalapeños like it’s nothing. They have to eat them all the way down to the stem. After a few minutes, you’ll see their ears start to go red. Then their cheeks. Watch their nose go red next. Eyes go bloodshot. They look a little tipsy at this point. When snot starts running from their nose, they are nearly done.
One at a time, they start dropping out. The audience applauds those who failed because at least they tried. It’s gross, I know. But it’s worth watching. Because we are all sadistic like that.
Started in 1986, the Chugwater Chili Cook-off was created by the Chugwater Chili Corporation to celebrate the town’s legendary chili and boost the local community. Over the past four decades, it has grown from a simple local contest into Wyoming’s largest single-day event, drawing thousands of visitors.
Original reporting: K2 Radio (Casper) — read the source article.
