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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Participants serve chili at the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Over 100 teams served their best chili recipes.
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The Snapbeanberg Chili team took home the grand prize from the judges. The team has been participating since the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off began.
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Exceptional Foundation participants chose the Chili Ray Cyrus team to receive the Exceptional Award.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
A potbelly pig made a visit to the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Attendees dance to live music at Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Attendees dance to live music at Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Members of Chili Ray Cyrus use a T-shirt cannon to give away shirts.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
The Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off included more than 100 different teams sharing their recipes.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Families enjoy chili, music and activities.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
The Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off also brought out four-legged attendees.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Live bands perform at the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Booths serve up chili.
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Chili Ray Cyrus team members at their booth.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Booths dish out their chili recipes.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
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The Hand in Paw booth served its chilli in dog bowls.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Beer, popsicles and sausages were also available for sale at the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
Crowds filled the Brookwood Village parking lot.
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Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off
A goat from Hand in Paw Therapy was at Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Dogs joined the fun at the Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
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Some Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off participants brought their dogs.
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A bulldog enjoys the sunshine at Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off.
The chance to taste test Birmingham's best chili brought thousands of people, dogs and even a pig and a goat to Brookwood Village.
The annual Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-off was held March 5, with over 100 teams hoping to take home a trophy for their recipes. Exceptional Foundation Executive Director Tricia Kirk said it was estimated that 15,000 people attended this year, including a TV crew from HGTV. Kirk said the crew was working with a Birmingham family for one of the channel's shows, and the family named the Chili Cook-off as their favorite event in the city.
The teams included local corporations, nonprofits, groups of friends and even some Homewood firefighters, all arriving in the early morning to prepare enough chili to feed crowds from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event also included kids activities, popsicles, hot dogs and beer.
Snapbeanberg Chili was awarded the grand prize by the panel of judges, with the team from Cobbs Allen taking first runner-up and First Commercial Bank as second runner-up. Attendees of the Chili Cook-off voted for Big Wid's Chili as the People's Choice, and Exceptional Foundation participants voted for the Chili Ray Cyrus team. Iberia Bank's team took home the Spirit Award.
