By Moses Leos III

From Canyon Lake, to Cedar Park and as far away as the state of Michigan, roughly 100 people stirred their chili pots Saturday to compete in the Chilympiad – Buda’s iteration of the famous chili cook off.  

And while it didn’t match the grand scale of what was San Marcos’ Chilympiad, organizer Larry Burruss said there was enough interest six years ago to bring a chili cook off back to the area.   

Origins of the original Chilympiad go back to the first event in 1970. The event, which drew 30 people, was held to advertise the reopening of Aquarena Springs after floods had closed it. 

Burruss said he never thought it would “grow into anything of significance.” 

Two decades later, San Marcos’ Chilympiad swelled into its own event. The Chilympiad featured as many as five chili cook offs, along with concerts, a beauty pageant, and a fair. Nearly 600 cooks participated in Chilympiad at its peak in 1995.

But financial troubles eventually forced it to end in 2003. 

It wasn’t until 2009 that Burruss and others brought the event back. He and his group chose Cabela’s in Buda as the locale. 

Burruss said the use of impervious cover in the parking lot helped push the location. The size of the parking lot, along with the notoriety of Cabela’s, was another factor. 

Regaining the Chilympiad name soon became their goal. It wouldn’t be until 2013 that the group reclaimed it. 

Chilympiad in Buda now operates as the South Central Regional Open for the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI). The organization is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that raises not only awareness for chili, but also funds for charity. 

It’s also one of the qualifiers for the International Chili Championship in Terlingua, TX. 

Burruss believes the current iteration of the Chilympiad can thrive. However, he said it might never match the notoriety it once had. 

“I don’t think anyone will ever match what Chilympiad did,” Burruss said. “It was kind of a novelty.”