It’s time for a little friendly culinary competition.

The Lexington County Chili Cook Off returns to the Icehouse Amphitheater this weekend, with local cooks from the community looking to take the title of best chili in the county.

The event organizers, the Lexington County Blowfish and Old Mill Brewpub, team up once again for an event that has consistently grown since its inception. 

The Blowfish’s Bill Shanahan and the Brewpub’s John Clinger have worked well together and are deeply invested in Lexington County. Clinger is especially invested in the area having a chili cook off, having started another such successful event in Pennsylvania where he is from.

“When we moved here in 2005, I missed running the chili cook off. My son asked me, ‘Why don’t you do another chili cook off?’” Clinger said. “So I asked Bill if he wanted to be a part of it and we’ve been partners ever since.”

33 teams are signed up for this year’s event, comprising representatives from businesses and other local organizations. They come up with their own names, with some fun examples being Chili Chili Bang Bang, Kung Fu Chili, and No Soup for You … Just Chili.

Shanahan said that when the cook off began, it started at the Blowfish’s home, the Lexington County Baseball Stadium on Ballpark Road, with about 200 people and six teams. They transitioned to the Icehouse Amphitheater downtown when it opened up and the numbers have increased each year from 200 attendees to 400 then 700 and 900, Shanahan said. 

“Last year, it had over 1,300 people and it’s truly becoming a tradition in Lexington County,” he offered.

He added that they will be able to squeeze everybody into the amphitheater this year but speculated that if the event keeps growing they may need to find another space.

Entertainment will be provided by local Freeway Music students and popular cover band Under the Sun.

While all of the teams compete for the best chili, with a panel of judges tasting and assessing them, Clinger said the award many teams want is the people’s choice award — everyone who comes to the event receives a coin which they can use to vote for their favorite.

The judges use five criteria to rate each chili — color, consistency, aroma, taste and aftertaste.

“If it’s too hot, it can be downgraded. If it’s not spicy enough, downgraded. Too soupy, downgraded,” Clinger said.