In 1996, Pace & Partners marketing firm held a “Chili Fest” competition with the staff cooking chili and clients serving as judges. The small event had about 10 staff members each make a crockpot of chili. That year Dennis Pace won, Bob Metzger PR came in second and most interesting chili was awarded to Mike Holiday (director of research) for squirrel chili!
In 1997, Tom Galyon, “visionary idea man” of the Michigan CVB adopted the Chili Fest into part of the “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” event that the CVB had launched two years previous. Six restaurants took part in the contest, the chili was gone within an hour. The next year, 16 restaurants signed up, and due to the large workload the CVB had to pass the baton to BWL. Enter John Strickler.
Communications Director of the BWL, John Strickler saw the Chili Fest as the perfect event to bring the community to the banks of the Grand River. Having recently served on the Grand Vision Committee, a 2-year effort led by Mark Nixon (Editorial editor at the LSJ), John continued their goal to reimagine and highlight Greater Lansing’s riverfront assets. The committee, having already started the annual Adopt-A-River cleanup and supported the beginning of the Lansing River Trail, just needed ways to bring people down to the river. In 1998, the BWL hosted the “Down-by-the-River Chili Cook-Off,” the name changing to “BWL Chili Cook-Off” in 2008 to acknowledge the Board’s continued leadership.
With the passion and support from John Strickler, the Chili Cook-Off had the strength it needed to flourish and grow exponentially. The event grew to a sprawling food festival taking up over a square quarter mile around the Grand. John opened the competition to businesses, union and nonprofits. He created new awards and built an august panel of judges including community leaders, celebrities, and media personalities. John felt live-music was important to draw crowds, adding one and eventually two bands to the event.
John Strickler invited Ciesa Design to create the posters for each year. The poster prints became coveted collectables that now serve as relics and artifacts of the once grand festival. When John Strickler retired in 2009-2010 the driving force behind the event vanished. The event underwent some major changes in the following years with a slow decline and an eventual end in 2022 (the last official BWL Chili-Cook Off was in 2019). The event bore his impression, and without John to lead the charge the passions dissipated.