It’s time to loosen your belt, bring a spoon, and prepare your taste buds for a fiery showdown in the heart of Jackson Hole. The High Noon Chili Cook-off returns Sunday, May 18, 2025, and it’s bringing more beans, beef, and bragging rights than ever before. From 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Jackson Town Square, the aroma of simmering spice will hang thick in the mountain air, and the competition will be just as hot.
Whether you’re a seasoned chef or just a chili daydreamer with a Crock-Pot and a dream, this is your chance to earn eternal chili glory. Categories include:
- Individual / Amateur
- Restaurant / Professional
And let’s not forget the grand prize: the Famous Traveling Chili Trophy — the Super Bowl of spicy stew. Winners also take home cash prizes:
- 🥇 1st Place: $300
- 🥈 2nd Place: $200
- 🥉 3rd Place: $100
Don’t think you’ve got the goods? Come anyway, the people get a vote too. Sample your way through dozens of bowls of bold, beautiful chili and help decide this year’s People’s Choice Champion.
Last year’s judges handed the golden spoon to Laneisha, with Spring Creek Ranch and Silver Dollar tying for second. The crowd was all-in for Silver Dollar and a surprisingly spicy entry from Austin O’Bryhim State Farm Insurance, proving once again that good chili comes from unlikely places (like your insurance agent?!).
Rounding out the lineup were honorable mentions like Willie Good Chili, Whistling Grizzly, and Experience at Lakeside, all delivering heat and heart in equal measure.
But chili is just one course in the full feast of Old West Days! Make sure to check out our full festival guide so you don’t miss a single cowboy hat, parade, or two-step.
Once you’ve cooled off from the cook-off, get ready to sip and savor your way through Jackson Hole Restaurant Week, running May 16–23 with prix fixe menus and unbeatable local flavors.
And don’t forget the main stage mayhem: Million Dollar Music Fest hits Town Square on Sunday, May 25, featuring country legends and a crowd ready to party.
Finally, wrap it all up with a cold one at the Old West Brewfest on May 24. Here’s your guide to the brews and the boots.
So whether you’re here to taste or to take the title, mark your calendars. May 18. Noon. Town Square.
Because in Jackson Hole, chili isn’t just food, it’s a lifestyle.
