Video: Thousands try out chili for annual Exceptional Foundation 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.