NOVEMBER 8, 2025 - FREE ADMISSION! Gates Open at 10 AM Presented by: DuraFry Hosted at McClancy Foods and Flavors, 8746 Charlotte Hwy., Indian Land, SC 29707
Non-profits who have a cook team will have the $75 fee waived and receive a $100 donation to their cause. Competes in Open Division, People's Choice, and Showmanship.
ICS Members compete on Saturday and Sunday (a private competition). Competes in People's Choice, Showmanship, and ICS Qualifier (must be an ICS member).
Individual Teams can compete by paying $35. Competes in Open Division, People's Choice, and Showmanship.
Competition Information
OPEN DIVISION (HOMESTYLE) Our Carolinas Chili Championship (CCC) Open division is a judged competition for individuals and organizations based in the Carolinas wanting to compete in an “Homestyle” chili cook-off for cash prizes and bragging rights! The cook team winning first place in the CCC Open judged competition will advance to the amateur division competition at 2025 International Chili Society World Cook-off which is being held in Indianapolis, Indianna.
Cook teams participating in the Open Division will be provided a 24 oz judging cup which they will turn in at the appointed time. CCC will follow the judging procedures used by the International Chili Society to conduct a ‘blind’ judging to ensure a fair result in selecting the top three winners.
Chili that is entered in this category can be prepared on site or in advance following SCDHEC health-code requirements. Entries must contain fresh or ground chili peppers. All other ingredients including meat, tomatoes, any variety of beans, pasta, seasonings, and other ingredients required to make your best chili are permissible. All ingredients must be sourced from a licensed, commercial supplier.
Carolina’s Championship Open winners will receive:
1st Place – $1,000 and a Banner 2nd Place – Cash prize amount TBD + Commemorative Placard 3rd Place – Cash prize amount TBD + Commemorative Placard
PEOPLE'S CHOICE Every cook team giving away chili is automatically entered into a People’s Choice competition where the public votes for their favorite chili. Each of the tasting kits provided to the public contains a plastic token to award to their favorite chili. The contestant getting the most tokens will receive the People’s Choice prize. CCC will provide an official sealed token collection container with a team number on the bottom to collect people’s choice tokens. The collection containers will be picked up from each booth by CCC at 4 PM.
Teams competing in the CCC open should have 2 gallons of chili to give away after turning in their judging cup. Cook teams looking to walk away with a People’s Choice win should be prepared to hand out 3 to 5 gallons of chili as the last team standing usually prevails in this category.
People’s Choice 1st Place Prize: $1,000, Award, and bragging rights!
Notice: To ensure a fair result, any cook-team losing or tampering with the sealed collection container will be disqualified from the People’s Choice competition. Any cook-team giving tokens to another cook team or receiving tokens from another cook team will be ineligible to receive cash prizes in all CCC categories.
SHOWMANSHIP Judges will be looking for booth decor that conveys a theme and creates a memorable visual experience for the public. Cleverness, a sense of humor and playful antics that engage and entertain the crowd creating a sense of excitement will score well.
1st Place Prize: Cash prize TBD , award, and bragging rights!
ICS QUALIFIER DIVISION
The ICS Qualifier is a full‐blown competition held on Saturday for three sanctioned classes—Red, Homestyle, and Chili Verde and on Sunday for four sanctioned classes—Red, Homestyle, Chili Verde, and Vegi. This division is open only to current International Chili Society members, who cook head‐to‐head under official ICS rules.
The stakes are high: the top finisher in each of the four ICS classes not only takes home a cash prize, but also secures an invitation to the next International Chili Society World Cook‐Off. Whether you’re a seasoned chili pro or a passionate home cook, this is your chance to test your recipe against the very best and earn your spot on the world stage. (Note: ICS membership and advance registration are required; space in each category is limited to the first 50 paid teams.)
