18 Sep Vegan Chili Reigns Supreme At Rodeo Chili & Salsa Cook-Off and Car Show

Ed Santos poses with his prize 1937 Ford Roadster and the trophy it won as Best in Show on the automotive side of the Rodeo 2024 Chili & Salsa Cook-Off and Car Show.

Photo Essay, Malcolm Marshall

A Rodeo tradition, the Chili & Salsa Cook-Off and Car Show returned to Lefty Gomez Field for another year of cooking — and consuming — classic cars and community.

The 19^th annual Chili Cook-Off on Sept. 8 brought out close to 2,000 people, according to Sylvia Villa-Serrano of the Bayfront Chamber of Commerce, host of annual the event, making it the most successful to date.

The baseball field — named for the late Hall of Fame pitcher, who was from Rodeo — was turned into an open kitchen with eight teams preparing chili and salsa (four contestants for each) on-site while tasters voted for their favorite of each.

Also vying for the day’s top prize were 130 classic car owners, who brought out their meticulously restored prized possessions and shared their stories with attendees.

A DJ spinning tunes kept the mood upbeat and lively as local businesses and nonprofits set up booths to promote products and services available to the community.

Villa-Serrano said while the event has remained essentially the same, it keeps getting bigger and bigger every year.

“It has just become a larger event,” she said.” I think it resonates because it’s a community event. It’s folks just getting together with their neighbors and enjoying the day.”

This year’s awards went to Laura Hulse of Walnut Creek who won both the people’s choice and judges’ awards for her vegan chili. Her slow-cooked, hearty chili seemed simple but was still satisfying and flavorful with a touch of heat. It came topped with cilantro and onion. Hulse beat out her own husband, whose chili did contain meat and was topped with cheese and sour cream. It’s not the first time he’s come so close to tasting victory; last year, he lost by one vote.

In the salsa competition, Bernadette Sanchez of Hercules won the judges award, while Christina Holmes and Adriana Hernandez of Pinole claimed the people’s choice award. And in the car competition, Ed Santos won Best in Show with his beautiful 1937 red Ford Roadster.

The Bay Front Chamber of Commerce represents the business communities in the cities of Hercules, Pinole and Rodeo. The cook-off and car show event was also a fundraiser for the Bayfront Scholarship Fund, which gives scholarships to students from the three local high schools: John Swett, Pinole Valley and Hercules.

Phillips 66, El Sol restaurant and the Rodeo Municipal Advisory Council sponsored the event.

Check out more sights from the Rodeo 2024 Chili & Salsa Cook-Off & Car Show: