BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Belleville’s famous Chili Cook-off kicked off Friday, celebrating its 40th year of food, fun, and community bonding. But this year, there’s heightened security in place following recent disturbances at nearby events.
For the last four decades, the Belleville Chili Cook-off has been a tradition for people like Tiffany Fusek.
“The chili is amazing," she said, telling us the festival feels like a homecoming.
“I've been coming to the chili cook off as long as I can remember. It's kind of like a high school reunion every year," she said.
The event, which runs for two days, is more than just about food. It’s a community fundraiser that last year raised over $100,000 for local causes, from helping children in need to supporting the local fire department.
Event organizer Wendy Pfeil, executive director of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce, said they’re aiming to surpass that total this year.
“And as it's grown over the years, it has become a fundraiser for the community. And so most of the vendors are actually raising funds or they're not for profit organizations themselves to give back to the community," she said.
But this year’s cook-off comes with heightened security, following disturbances at recent local events. The annual Midwest Wingfest was shut down early over Labor Day weekend after teenagers caused trouble. And just a couple of weekends ago, Belleville’s Oktoberfest was also cut short for similar reasons.
Police have increased their presence at the Belleville Chili Cook-off, though they’re not sharing all the specifics. Attendees like Fusek said they feel secure.
“They're actually using drones and other means of keeping everybody safe. So I feel really good. I wouldn't stop coming for anything. I'd just be more vigilant about what I do and maybe leave a little bit earlier," she said.
Mark Heffernan, the city of Belleville’s police assistant chief, told us: “We plan extensively for all of our downtown events, Chili Cook-off is no different. We will have more officers assigned than ever before. We have extensive plans, most that I do not want to disclose in a public forum. That being said, we are always concerned about trends in behavior and recognize the possibility exists for this event to be targeted by groups of juveniles as we have seen previously this fall. The footprint for the event was approved by City Council months ago, so we will proceed with the event as approved. We are considering recommending additional safety/security measures for next year’s events, but we are still working to finalize those plans.”
There are 48 vendors in total at the event. As the chili simmers and the crowd grows, everyone is hoping for a peaceful and fun two days.
