Last Saturday, downtown El Dorado was buzzing with excitement as the Wayside Inn Museum Chili Cookoff fundraiser kicked off. Eleven teams showcased their expertise in making chili at the event. The crowd enjoyed live music, vendors, and of course, chili.
This year's judges were Dane Diehl, Todd Leonard, and Justin Trowbridge. Coordinator Paula Newman expressed, "Everyone who talked to me told me how much they loved all the chilis this year. It was so nice to hear such great feedback. We had such a wonderful turnout. It's hard to schedule an event during the fall that works well for everyone's schedule, so it was nice to see the great turnout."
The competition has several categories and aims to raise money for major structural repairs at the Wayside Inn Museum. The contest had three categories: People's Choice, Judges' Choice, and Best Decorated Stand. The People's Choice winner was Eric Butterfield. The Best Decorated award went to Community Springs Nursing Home, and the Judges' Choice winners were as follows:
First place, Cedar County Memorial Hospital
Second place, CMH Walk-In Clinic
Third place, Community Springs Nursing Home
The Wayside Inn, originally known as The Palace, was built in 1882. It went by other names throughout its history but gained the name The Wayside Inn in 1924.
