Staff photo.
Exceptional Foundation Chili Cookoff
The Exceptional Foundation’s Chili Cook-Off is moving locations this year — from Homewood to Liberty Park in Vestavia.The event, which is celebrating its 22nd year, will be held March 7 at The Urban Center from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Exceptional Foundation’s Chili Cook-Off is moving locations this year — from Homewood to Liberty Park in Vestavia.
The event, which is celebrating its 22nd year, will be held March 7 at The Urban Center from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“As Brookwood Village has new construction plans, it was time for the Chili Cook-Off to find a new location after 20 years in Homewood,” The Exceptional Foundation Marketing Coordinator Callie Puryear said. “Proceeds from the cook-off provide a significant source of funding for programs at The Exceptional Foundation, where we promote lasting friendships, healthy living, life skills and community involvement for adults and youth with intellectual disabilities.”
Puryear said this will be the first year the location will change in roughly 20 years. Organizers of the event are hopeful it will draw crowds from both Homewood and Vestavia Hills, making it larger than previous years.
“We are so thankful for Homewood’s support and hope that our Homewood friends will continue to join us,” Puryear said. “We also can’t wait to reach a new audience in Liberty Park and hopefully raise awareness about our organization in Vestavia.”
Puryear said the event will be much of the same that everyone knows and loves with the only difference being a new location.
Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce President Michelle Hawkins said the city is excited to have this event held in Vestavia, noting that Liberty Park will be a good location for a large crowd.
“I think when you look at the success of this event over the years and you see how many people annually attend, you can’t help but be excited for it to come to Vestavia,” Hawkins said. “We are hopeful the event will continue to grow and reach an even wider audience.”
Hawkins said with the close proximity to many businesses in both Liberty Park and Cahaba Heights, she anticipates smaller, local businesses will also benefit from the event.
“There are lots of nearby restaurants and retail businesses that make [this] the perfect spot for it to be held,” Hawkins said. “There is also plenty of parking, which I know is very important to people, and it is very easy to access off of Interstate 459.”
A total of 140 teams cooked chili in 2025, and Hawkins said she is excited that 150 teams will be cooking at the new location.
“We are really optimistic that Vestavia will embrace this event with open arms and Vestavia businesses will show up in full support for it,” Hawkins said. “We are also eager for our Homewood friends to come out and enjoy it.”
In 2025, roughly 14,000 cook-off attendees raised $470,000 for programs at The Exceptional Foundation.
Initially the Chili Cook-Off was started by The Exceptional Foundation’s Junior Board and took place in the parking lot of The Exceptional Foundation in Homewood with just a few teams cooking pots of chili.
“We continue to keep the same goal that we had from the start: a fun day for the community that raises funds that make our programs possible,” Puryear said.
Many teams that participate arrive the night before the event to prepare the chili that will be served the next day.
“We love the competition that comes with the Chili Cook-Off each year,” Puryear said. “We love the passion people bring to this day and the joy we see when the winners get their trophy. Another special thing is when teams have been to the Foundation to visit or volunteer, so they really get to see what the event is all about and what they are doing the event for.”
The Chili Cook-Off is family friendly and includes a kids’ zone. A new addition to this year’s event is a food truck area with local food trucks for patrons to visit in addition to trying chili from the various teams participating.
The presenting sponsor this year is Alabama Power’s Renew Our Rivers initiative.
The judges and VIP sponsors are Argent Trust and Waverly Advisors, and the sponsor for the kids’ zone is Eventive Sports.
“We are so thankful for all of our sponsors for making this fun event happen each year and joining us as we adapt and grow,” Puryear said.
The Exceptional Foundation President and CEO Sara Newell said that after 20 years of memories in Homewood, they are excited to bring the Chili Cook-Off to Liberty Park and share the tradition with even more of the community.
“We are so grateful for the Homewood support that helped this event grow, and we look forward to continuing that spirit in Vestavia Hills,” Newell said.
The funds raised from the Chili Cook-Off make up nearly one-third of The Exceptional Foundation’s annual budget each year.
The event helps the Foundation care for more than 400 participants, which includes daily field trips around the community, sporting events in which they participate, weekend outings, an annual prom and more.
The Urban Center is at 1000 Urban Center Drive.
Tickets can be bought in advance for $15 at exceptionalfoundation.org/chili. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event and at the gate for $20. Children 12 and younger are free.
