Chili Challenge

2026 Lenexa Chili Challenge Team Results(PDF, 312KB)

Photos of winners

Overall

• Grand Champion: Outhouse Chili (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Jason Goertzen

• Reserve Grand Champion: Hot Roots Chili (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: George Sallas

• Third Place Overall: Cynthia's Cynful Chili (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Cynthia Davis

Traditional Chili Division

• First Place: Winging It (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Randall Braun

• Second Place: Pico De Carley (Leawood, KS)
  Head Cook: TJ Carley

• Third Place: Cynthia's Cynful Chili (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Cynthia Davis

Homestyle Chili Division

• First Place: Santa Fe Smokers (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: John Belshe
  
  
• Second Place: Silver Fox Creations (Overland, KS)
  Head Cook: Dustin Myers
  
  
• Third Place: Stuke-n-Baker (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Bill Baker

Wings Division

• First Place: Chili Chili Bang Bang (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Carla McCane

• Second Place: Ts Country Kitchen (Lane, KS)
  Head Cook: Ted Moore

• Third Place: Kansas Sizzler (Overland Park, KS)
  Head Cook: Bobbie Cissell

Salsa Division

• First Place: Life of the Farty (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Elizabeth Mason

• Second Place: Kansas City Salsa (Shawnee, KS)
  Head Cook: Barry Conklin

• Third Place: LeRoy's (Overland Park, KS)
  Head Cook: Daniel Novin

Kids Kornbread Contest

• First Place: Jalepeno Cheesy Business (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Piper Beagle

• Second Place: Big Red Cornbread (Overland Park, KS)
  Head Cook: Luke Stewart

• Third Place: C & C Colon Cleansers  (Shawnee, KS)
  Head Cook: Greyson Cohen

Breakthrough T1D Fundraising Award (formerly JDRF)

• First Place: Moe Dangie Hillbilly Chili ($6,706.48)

• Second Place: Jenny O'Shoot That's Good Chili ($6,165)

• Third Place: Wrong Side of the Tracks ($3,565.18)

Team list by booth number(PDF, 277KB)

Team list by team name(PDF, 235KB)

Team list by head cook(PDF, 277KB)

Map of booth layout(PDF, 2MB)

Check back later for 2027 details.

Friday, Oct. 9, 2026

6 p.m.

• Gates open

6 to 9 p.m.

• Face painter and balloon artist

7 to 10 p.m.

• Live music: Superstar Mafia

10 p.m.

• Gates close

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026

9 a.m.

• Kids Kornbread Contest turn-in

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Gates open to the public.
• Free samples available from teams, while supplies last
• Turn-in and judging

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Face painters and balloon artists

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Live music: Superstar Mafia

4 p.m.

• Contest winners announced

Parking

Park on any public street. There is limited space available, including handicap-accessible parking, in the Lenexa Old Town Activity Center parking lot. Parking available at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church. We do not have shuttles for this event. 

Friday 

Many teams host private parties on Friday but the public is welcome to enjoy live music and purchase food and beverages from vendors. Kids can get their face painted or a balloon twisted.

Please note: After many years, we’ve decided to retire fireworks at the Lenexa Chili Challenge. Fireworks require significant resources, staffing and road closures, and we’ve chosen to focus our efforts on what makes this event truly special — great chili, great music and great community. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Saturday

Teams offer free chili samples beginning at 10 a.m. until they’re gone. You can also enjoy live music, children’s face painting and balloon twisting or purchase food and drinks from vendors. 

Alcohol

Only competition teams can bring in alcoholic beverages during the check-in process. Others must purchase alcoholic beverages on-site.

Pets

Please keep your pets at home. Only service dogs allowed.

Plan to walk

Chili Challenge attracts thousands and people roam from tent to tent. Bikes, skateboards and motorized vehicles are not allowed in the event. Exceptions are wheelchairs or other devices needed by people with disabilities.

To maintain a safe area and ensure access for emergency personnel, several roads in the Old Town area will be closed to traffic or have parking restrictions.

Road closures

Friday at 8:30 a.m. to Saturday at 6 p.m. the following roads will be closed:

• Santa Fe Trail Drive from Pflumm Road to Caenen Lake Road as well as a section of W. 92nd Street.
• Walnut Street from Pflumm Road to Depot Street and a section of Haskins Street between Walnut Street and Oak Street.

Friday at 6 p.m. to Saturday at 3 p.m. the following roads will be closed:

• Pflumm Road between W. 92nd Street and W. 94th Street.
• Santa Fe Trail Drive from Summit Street to Pflumm Road.

Parking restrictions

Temporary no parking signs will be posted and in effect Friday and Saturday only:

• W. 90th Place between Park Street and Pflumm Road.
• W. 91st Terrace between Pflumm Road and Noland Road.
• W. 92nd Street between Pflumm Road and Haskins Street.
• Oak Street between Pflumm Road and Noland Road.
• W. 94th Street between Pflumm Road and Noland Road.
• W. 94th Terrace between Pflumm Road and Haskins Street.
• Park Street between W. 90th Place and Santa Fe Trail Drive.
• Haskins Street between Oak and 95th Street.
• Caenen Lake Road between W. 91st Street and W. 94th Street.
• Noland Road between W 91st Street and Santa Fe Trail Drive.

The Lenexa Chili Challenge is a family event, and our Kids Kornbread Contest gives your kids the opportunity to get involved in the fun!

How to enter

The contest is open to kids age 12 and under.

Register online

• Limited to the first 30 kids registered. (Online registration will close when registration is full.)
• Walk-up entries accepted if open spots remain.

• Turn in your child’s cornbread at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, 2027, at the Lenexa Old Town Activity Center (Oak Room doors)
• Make sure you turn in at least six servings in a disposable container.
• Your child’s entry will be judged on creativity, appearance and taste.

Winners

We will announce the winners with the chili contest awards on stage at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2027. The top three finishers will receive a ribbon and prizes.

Check back later for 2027 details.

Butterfluff Popcorn: Kettle corn 

KC Kona Ice: Shaved ice, bottled water

Lite-Em-Up: Lite up toys, candy, novelties

The Big Cheese: Foot-long corn dogs, deep-fried cheese curds, onion rings, chicken tenders, funnel fries, french fries, hot fudge sundaes, shakes, malts, root beer floats, fresh-squeezed lemonade, water, soda 

Check back later for 2027 registration details.

Returning teams from 2025

Register from July 6, 2026, at 8 a.m.–July 26, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

• Your team’s head cook must be the person to complete registration.
• Once payment is received, your team’s participation is official.
• Please review your receipt and confirm all information is correct.

New teams

Any available team booth spots will open for general registration Aug. 3, 2026, at 8 a.m.

• Open booth spaces are on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Registration will close once 170 booth spaces are filled.
• A waitlist will automatically be created in case a booth space becomes available.

Know a team already competing?

• You may share a booth space with another team, so long as the head cook of the booth space agrees.
• To join the competition, the head cook of the current booth space must reach out to shirst@lenexa.com to start the process.

Registration instructions

Register online

1. Sign in under “Account Login” in the top right corner. If you do not have an account, please create an account first.
2. Select the shopping cart next to Chili Challenge Contestant Registration.
3. You will be asked several registration questions.

Categories

You can register for each of the following categories:

• Traditional chili (no beans)
• Homestyle chili
• Wings
• Salsa