Grab your bowls and spoons
Otho Chili Cook-Off is Saturday
-Messenger file photo <br> Kendra Sassman, of Fort Dodge, dishes up a bowl of chili at the 2022 Otho Chili Cook-off at the Otho city park.
-Messenger file photo <br> Visitors peruse the silent auction items at the Otho Betterment Commitee’s Otho Chili Cook-off in 2022.
-Messenger file photo <br> Lynn Anderson carves a wooden pumpkin with a chainsaw at the 2022 Otho Chili Cook-off at the Otho city park.
-Messenger file photo <br> Kendra Sassman, of Fort Dodge, dishes up a bowl of chili at the 2022 Otho Chili Cook-off at the Otho city park.
-Messenger file photo <br> Visitors peruse the silent auction items at the Otho Betterment Commitee’s Otho Chili Cook-off in 2022.
-Messenger file photo <br> Lynn Anderson carves a wooden pumpkin with a chainsaw at the 2022 Otho Chili Cook-off at the Otho city park.
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OTHO -- The title of the best chili in Webster County will be up for grabs this weekend at the seventh annual Otho Chili Cook-Off hosted by the Otho Betterment Committee at the Otho City Park.
Nine teams are signed up to stew chili, Missy Ewing, president of the Otho Betterment Committee, said. Alongside the cook-off will be the annual bloody mary contest, which currently has three teams signed up.
Public tasting for the bloody mary contest will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A tasting cup is $5. Public tasting for the chili contest is from 2 to 4 p.m. and a bowl and spoon are also $5.
This year's event, which is lined up with Market in the Park, is expected to be the biggest one yet, Ewing said.
"We have at least three times more vendors than we had last year," she said. "We have a couple of food trucks this year, Scratch Cupcakes is coming, along with a wine slushy truck."
There will be plenty of free entertainment and activities throughout the day at the park as well. For the kids, there will be bounce houses, face painting and balloon animals. At 12:30 p.m., there will be a free magic show, Ewing added.
For the adults, there will be a slow pitch softball tournament. To register for the tournament, email Scott Schuler at sschuler80@gmail.com.
Ewing said a bags tournament was also recently added to Saturday's lineup.
With temperatures in the high 50s, Saturday's weather will be perfect for warming up with a bowl of chili. Winning teams of both the chili and the bloody mary contests will receive cash payouts. The deadline to enter the contests is Thursday. To sign up, contact Ewing at 515-829-0651.
The Market in the Park, which is typically held on Sundays, will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
"We have 66 vendors signed up," Ewing said.
There will also be a 50/50 raffle, a Blackstone raffle and a silent auction to benefit the Otho Betterment Committee, which hosts community activities year-round. The committee also donates to causes like Bikes for Tykes and to victims of house fires within the Otho Fire District.
Parking will be available at the former Otho School lot north of the ball diamond.