The main features of the event are a chili cookoff competition and a rock music concert, although vendors and sponsors also set up booths to form a temporary marketplace.
In its earlier years, the Cook-Off was often held at the intersection of K St. and Wisconsin Ave. in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., but later moved to the intersection of 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. After 9/11, security concerns forced the event to move to a series of nearby locations over the next several years. Recently, the Cook-Off has been held at the Center City Lot, formerly the location of the Washington Convention Center. In 2009, for the first time, the Cook-Off was held at RFK Stadium.[1][2]
The 2009 Chili Cook-Off attracted the largest crowd in the event's history with 35,000[3] attendees.
The DC101 Chili Cook-Off is an International Chili Society-sanctioned event. The cook-off portion of the event involves a competition between 101 chili cooks in four major categories: Salsa, Freestyle, Red Chili and Green Chili. The winner in the Red Chili category goes on to that year's International Chili Society World Championship.
The concert portion showcases the music of several modern rock acts, all performing on a single stage erected in a closed-off city street. Lineups for the concert are usually announced in late March or early April. In recent years, a "Last Band Standing" competition has been held to select a local group to open the show.
Date |
Location |
Musical Acts |
October 4, 1980 |
Rosecroft Raceway /
Fort Washington, MD
|
|
May 3, 1981 |
Rosecroft Raceway /
Fort Washington, MD
|
|
May 16, 1982 |
Prince George's Equestrian Center /
Upper Marlboro, MD
|
The Silver Band, Largo High School Band |
May 14, 1983 |
Prince George's Equestrian Center /
Upper Marlboro, MD
|
|
May 11, 1985 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
|
May 10, 1986 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Lone Justice, Downtown |
May 20, 1989 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
The T-Birds, New Potato Caboose, Bird Dog Wheeler |
May 19, 1990 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Steve Smith and The Nakeds, Bird Dog Wheeler |
May 18, 1991 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, Downtown, Child's Play |
May 22, 1993 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Blue Öyster Cult, Child's Play, Y-Not? |
May 21, 1994 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Kansas |
May 20, 1995 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Collective Soul, Eddie From Ohio |
May 18, 1996 |
K St. and Wisconsin Ave. /
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
|
Spin Doctors, Dog's Eye View, Seven Mary Three, Toadies, The Badlees, The Emptys |
May 17, 1997 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Cracker, Cowboy Mouth, Sponge, Chalk FarM, Patti Rothberg, emmet swimming, Silverjet |
May 30, 1998 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Blink182, Everclear, Smash Mouth, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Brother Cane, Mighty Joe Plum, Foam |
May 22, 1999 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Fuel, Sponge, Finger Eleven, The Flys, Virgos Merlot, Bare, Jr., emmet swimming |
May 20, 2000 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, Our Lady Peace, Stroke 9, 8 Stops 7, Ebo |
May 19, 2001 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Train, Eve6, The Go-Go's, Seven Mary Three, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, Smartbomb |
May 18, 2002 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Soul Asylum, Puddle of Mudd, Something Corporate, Remy Zero, Sugarcult, Carbon Leaf, Pete Yorn, 2 Skinnee J's, Welbilt* |
May 17, 2003 |
12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Third Eye Blind, 3 Doors Down, Saliva, The Exies, Cold, Theory of a Deadman, Stage, Agents of the Sun* |
October 16, 2004 |
12th St. and Independence Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Cake, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, The Donnas, Chevelle, Thousand Foot Krutch, The Speaks* |
May 14, 2005 |
12th St. and Independence Ave. / Washington, D.C. |
Papa Roach, Chevelle, Trust Company, Carbon Leaf, Tony C. and the Truth, The Dan Band |
May 20, 2006 |
12th St. and C St. / Washington, D.C. |
Better Than Ezra, Hoobastank, Bloodhound Gang, Tonic, Smash-Up Derby, Rude Buddha, Everyone But Pete* |
May 12, 2007 |
Center City Lot / Washington, D.C. |
Jet, Three Days Grace, Buckcherry, Breaking Benjamin, Silversun Pickups, The Bravery, Minus-One* |
May 10, 2008 |
Center City Lot / Washington, D.C. |
Live, Staind, Chevelle, Finger Eleven, Seether, Deaf Pedestrians, The Blackjacks* |
May 16, 2009 |
RFK Stadium / Washington, D.C. |
The Offspring, Third Eye Blind, Shinedown, Papa Roach, Puddle of Mudd, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Niki Barr Band* |
May 22, 2010 |
RFK Stadium / Washington, D.C. |
Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Cage The Elephant, Switchfoot, Anberlin, Tears of Mars* |
May 21, 2011 |
RFK Stadium / Washington, D.C. |
Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, Papa Roach, Seether, Neon Trees, Paper Tongues, Middle Class Rut |