Festival attendance exceeds expectations, winners named

Published Thusday, March 20
By Mark Boehler
Daily Corinthian Executive Editor
Mother Nature didn't smile on the first ever Crossroads Festival and Mississippi Regional Chili Cookoff.
But organizers are grinning ear to ear after cookoff participation and festival attendance far exceeded expectations with an estimated crowd at around 1,000.
The festival committee will meet Thursday to discuss how to improve the festival and cookoff and begin making plans for what is hoped to be an annual event for the Crossroads area.
"All in all, it was a success," said Denise Mitchell, overall committee chairperson. "Many things didn't go as planned due to the weather, but we pulled it off. Those who took part had a really good time, and that's what it is all about."
Saturday began with a severe thunderstorm during registration and vendor setup -- causing a delay in those trying to be in position for a 9 a.m. festival start time.
After the thundershower moved through the area, rain moved over the festival. The downpour sent some vendors packing and some entertainment didn't take the stage, noted Mitchell.
The Magnolia Antique Car Club Cruise-In was also held with a reduced number of entries. The committee offered words of praise to the group to risk getting antique vehicles out despite the weather conditions, she said. The chili cookoff part of the event was protected under the pavilion at the Crossroads Arena, so it was a huge success for all accounts, noted the chairman.
After the rain stopped, the festival turned cold and windy throughout the afternoon.
"We said all along the cookoff would be held rain or shine," explained chairperson Denise Mitchell. "The pavilion is a good place for it. The judging area and contestants were protected from the elements."
Many cookoff participants gave chili away to any festival person who wanted a sample -- causing many cookers to run out of chili before People's Choice voting was finished.
"The cookoff went extremely well," said Steve Knight, cookoff chairperson. "We had a good mix of local and out-of-state winners. Most all entries said they would return next year if we had another cookoff." There were 29 cookoff entries from eight states, he said.
Here are the winners by category, with team name, person who entered and their hometown. Many of the teams included either several family members, friends or fellow employees.
Red Chili
First Place: "Alien Chili", Jim Stoddard of Dallas, Texas
Second Place: "Chili by Jean", Jean Simmons of St. Louis, Mo.
Third Place: "Toby's Bodacious Chili", Roy Toby of Beebe, Ark.
Chili Verde
First Place: "Diamond D", Mike Dearing of Newton, Miss.
Second Place: Paul Wessing of Farmersville, Ill.
Third Place: "Office Pro Chili Heads", Joe Franks of Corinth
Salsa
First Place: Aldo Klinghammer of Taylorville, Ill.
Second Place: "Pigs R Us", Jeff Stark of Corinth
Third Place: Kelly Wessing of Farmersville, Ill.
People's Choice
First Place: Peggy Churchwell of Corinth
Second Place: Trustmark Bank of Corinth
Third Place: "Chili Bandits", Ryan Cassabella of Corinth
Being a sanctioned event by the International Chili Society (ICS), first place winners in Red Chili, Chili Verde and Salsa got bids to the world championship. First place winners also won cash and all winners got a trophy handmade by Hinkle Creek Pottery.

Click here for photos from the event