Chili Challenge

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. 11, 2025 at the Lenexa Old Town Activity Center (NW 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. 11, 2025. The top three finishers will receive a ribbon and prizes.

Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

6 p.m.

• Gates open

6 to 9 p.m.

• Face painter and balloon artist

7 to 10 p.m.

• Live music: The Suburbans 

10 p.m.

• Gates close

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025

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: The Suburbans

4 p.m.

• Contest winners announced

Butterfluff Popcorn: Kettle corn

Grub Wagon/KC Treat Truck: Funnel cakes, hot dogs, brats, pretzels, nachos chips and cheese, chips, lemonade, drinks

KC Kona Ice: Shaved ice, bottled water

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

Rotary Club of Lenexa: Beverages including alcohol

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 

Parking

Park on any public street. There is limited space available, including handicap-accessible parking, in the Lenexa Old Town Activity Center parking lot. 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.

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 restricted access.

Road closures and parking restrictions map(PDF, 215KB)

Road closures

Friday, Oct. 10, at 8:30 a.m. to Saturday, Oct. 11, 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, Oct. 10 from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m. the following roads will be closed:

• Pflumm Road between W. 92nd Street and W. 94th Street.
• Santa Fe Trail Drive from 95th Street to Pflumm Road.

Parking restrictions

Temporary no parking signs will be posted on the following streets and in effect Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11:

• 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.
• 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.

Returning teams from 2024

Register from July 7, 2025, at 8 a.m. – July 27, 2025, 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. 4, 2025, 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

Complete results 2024 

Photos of winners 2024

Overall

• Grand Champion: Kansas Chaos (Gardner, KS)
  Head Cook: Kim Donovan

• Reserve Grand Champion: Strange Brew (Leavenworth, KS)
  Head Cook: Brett Jacobs

• Third Place Overall: Cedar Creek Chilinators (Shawnee, KS)
  Head Cook: Kenny Bates

Traditional Chili Division

• First Place: Strange Brew (Leavenworth, KS)
  Head Cook: Brett Jacobs

• Second Place: Smack N Beans (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Eric Johnson

• Third Place: Cedar Creek Chilinators (Shawnee, KS)
  Head Cook: Kenny Bates

Homestyle Chili Division

• First Place: Life of the Farty (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Elizabeth Mason
  
  
• Second Place: Sloth & the Deadly Sins (Plattsmouth, NE)
  Head Cook: Sarah Slattery
  
  
• Third Place: Kansas Chaos (Gardner, KS)
  Head Cook: Kim Donovan

Wings Division

• First Place: On the Sauce (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Duane Cash

• Second Place: Bean Flickers II Revenge of the Bean (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Jill Dines

• Third Place: Pigtail Meat Co. (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Daron Sinkler

Salsa Division

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

•  Second Place: Great Bowls of Fire (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Christen Dykmann

•  Third Place: All N One Home Inspections (Olathe, KS)
  Head Cook: Doug Geyer

Kids Kornbread Contest

• First Place: C&C Colon Cleanser (Shawnee, KS)
  Head Cook: Greyson Cohen

•  Second Place: Honey Cornbread (Lenexa, KS)
  Head Cook: Zoey Klover 

•  Third Place: Kron Bread Dognuts (Stilwell, KS)
  Head Cook: Ashley Hubert

JDRF Fundraising Award

• First Place: Moe Dangie Hillbilly Chili ($7,646)

• Second Place: Other Side of the Tracks ($5,173)

• Third Place: Wild Hawk Chili ($331)

Team list by booth number(PDF, 253KB)

Team list by team name(PDF, 253KB)

Team list by head cook(PDF, 253KB)

Map of booth layout(PDF, 857KB)