2016 Evergreen Big Chili Cook Off - September 10th at Buchanan Park!

The 2015 Big Chili Cook-off was an overwhelming success! Vendors, great weather, family fun, awesome chili, phenomenal entertainment and all for the mountain area firefighters! Special thank you to our sponsors who helped make this event happen. Click here for the list of 2015 Big Chili Winners.

And now we're gearing up for the 2016 Big Chili Cook-off! It will be held on September 10th at Buchanan Park again. Our mission is to raise funds in support of our mountain-area volunteer fire districts in their efforts to protect us, and to support the Blue Spruce Kiwanis Foundation. We are looking for event sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and people interested in making chili ! Please go to our website www.bigchili.org/ or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.


10:30am Gates Open
10:30am - 3:30pm Kids Area Open
10:30 - 11:45am Kids Challenge
11:00am - 3:30pm Chili Tasting (or until Chili is gone!)
11:00 - 11:30am Opening Ceremony/Tributes
Noon - 1:00pm Austin Young Band
Noon - 1:45pm Firefighter's Challenge (Men's & Women's)
2:00 - 3:30pm The Rick Lewis Project
3:30pm Chili Voting Closes
4:30 - 5:00pm 2016 Big Chili Cook-Off Awards
5:00 - 6:30pm The Long Run Band
6:30pm Event Close

Meet your area fire departments that this event supports!
Elk Creek Fire Department has 70 volunteers on its staff. Roughly 6,500 homeowners (or 98 square miles of land) are covered by the Elk Creek Fire Protection District. This department responds to about 1,100 calls per year. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as special fire resistant clothing, boots, wildland tools, and other fire apparatuses. More at ElkCreekFire.org.



The Elk Creek Fire Department was formed in 1948 by local residents who recognized the need to provide the community with fire protection. Completely volunteer and dependent on donations and using WW II surplus equipment the Department provided a much needed service to the community.

Many changes have occurred over the last 60 years: the change to a taxing entity, modern equipment, four stations, paid paramedics/EMTs, 911, modern radios, but the backbone of the department is still the citizen firefighter. The volunteer that gives of their time to train, maintain and respond. Our entire fire fighting staff, volunteers included, are Colorado State certified Fire Fighters.

With 100 volunteers on its staff, Evergreen Fire Department covers thousands of homeowners and 121 square miles of land known as the Evergreen Fire Protection District. This department responds to about 1,800 calls per year. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as special fire resistant clothing, boots, wildland tools, and other firefighting apparatus. More at EvergreenFireRescue.com and evergreenfirerescue.com/about/history/

Come see our entertainment line up! The Long Run (Colorado's Tribute Band to the Eagles), The Rick Lewis Project and the Austin Young Band! Buy your tickets now online at www.bigchili.org ! $18 per person now ($15 each if you buy 4 or more). Tickets are $20 at the gate on event day. There will be vendors, beverages, firefighters and CHILI!! Get your tickets NOW! Support your local mountain area volunteer fire fighters!
www.bigchili.org

Big Chili 2016, it all starts and ends right here raising as much money as we possibly can to help and support our local area VOLUNTEER fire departments! See you this Saturday, September 10 at Buchanon Fields in Bergen Park in north Evergreen, gates open at 10:30am, the weather gurus predict a perfect 77 degree Indian Summer Day!


Come and taste and vote on your favorite individual and restaurant chili's, check out the fireman's challenge, vendors galore for gifts, clothing and food, not to mention beer from Tommyknocker, margarita's from Coyote Gold and wine by the glass! Three incredible musical acts, starting with the Rick Lewis Project, Austin Young and our headliner The Long Run featuring the very best of the Eagles! Help us raise tons of money for our six local area volunteer fire departments, it's a very worthy cause! Buy your tickets now online at www.bigchili.org ! $18 per person now ($15 each if you buy 4 or more). Tickets are $20 at the gate on event day.


Let's all taste some chili, listen to some amazing music, enjoy some sweet libations, shop to our hearts delight and raise a ton of money for our six local mountain fire districts!




got chili?

Our remaining 4 area fire departments we are supporting with this event: Indian Hills Fire Department has 40 volunteers on its staff. Roughly 750 homeowners (or 12 square miles of land) are covered by the Indian Hills Fire Protection District. This department responds to about 225 calls per year. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as new and improved fire fighting equipment, clothing, computers, an SCBA Cascade System (fills oxygen tanks for fire fighters), and other fire apparatuses. More at www.ihfr.org .
Inter-Canyon Fire Department has 61 volunteers on its staff. Roughly 50 square miles of land are covered by the Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District. This department responds to approximately 350 calls per year, of which about 80% are rescue calls. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as cardiac monitors, a remodel of Station 3 on Hwy 285, a new radio system, replacing all the mobile radios in all 16 trucks/ambulances, personal radios, new pagers and chargers for all 61 members, portable radios for officers and senior members on the department, updating old bunker gear, fire equipment, rescue equipment and funding training opportunities. More at www.intercanyonfire.org .
North Fork Fire Department has 29 volunteers on its staff. Roughly 530 homeowners (or 302 square miles of land) are covered by the North Fork Fire Protection District. This department responds to approximately 165 calls per year. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as special fire-resistant clothing, boots, wildland tools, and other fire apparatus. More at www.northforkfire.org .
Platte Canyon Fire Department has 55 volunteers on its staff who receive 36 hours of training each year. Roughly 9,500 homeowners (and 280 square miles of land) are covered by the Platte Canyon Fire Protection District. This department responds to about 800 calls per year. Money received from the community will be used to address purchases that tax dollars do not cover, such as special fire-resistant clothing, boots, wildland tools, and other fire apparatus. More at www.plattecanyonfire.com .

Look for EPRD's booth at the Big Chili Cook-Off tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 10, and taste delicious pork and green chili chili created by EPRD Park Ops Manager Heart Cameron. It's scrumptious! The event is at our Buchanan Fields from 10:30-6:30 PM.