Meaty medley

Chili flowed freely Saturday into big ladles, tasters’ cups, judges’ mouths and even a few bristly beards during the Third Annual Chili Blues ’N Brews fest in downtown Waynesboro.

“I can save some for tomorrow,” Bobby Karnes said of his chest-length white beard. “It’s a flavor saver.”

Karnes, 59, of Nellysford, sampled at least eight chili recipes while roaming through Constitution Park.

“That made a pretty good lunch, so I quit at that,” said Karnes, who has attended all three cookoffs in the city.

“It’s definitely growing in popularity,” he said.

More than 25 chili cooks turned out for a chance at more than $3,000 in prize money and a chance to compete at the 2009 International Society’s World Championship Chili Cookoff. For the first time, the Waynesboro cookoff was a regional event, meaning winners in all but the people’s choice category qualify for the national event Oct. 9-11 in Charleston, W.Va., said Rick Moyer, events coordinator for Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc.

“They’re very competitive,” Moyer said Saturday. “It’s all about the chili.”

To gain an edge in people’s choice voting, chili cooks sported booths decked out like old-fashioned saloons or by showing extra-large pots and stirring spoons and signs proclaiming awards — like People’s Choice 2008 at The Big Spoon booth.

“It was in a landslide last year,” cook Michael Blinn said, as a neighboring booth tried to lure away potential voters.

“It’s so good you need a big spoon,” Blinn said of his booth’s name.

As slide-guitar and hollerin’ blues music pumped through the park, visitors from throughout the Valley licked their lips.

“This is very nice,” said Gayle Harper, of McGaheysville, a first-timer at the cookoff.

“It’s now overwhelming and hot, it just had an interesting flavor,” her husband Tom said of his favorite verde chili.

Near the end of a row of booths, Thomas Fiammetta, of Waynesboro, handed out a cup of his buffalo meat chili, telling a man that “real chili doesn’t have ground meat.”

“It’s definitely a leaner piece of meat,” Fiammetta, a two-time Scottsville cookoff winner, said of the unique meat choice. “A little more game to it.”

Picking his way through booths, Terry Beams, of Charlottesville, checked them off like a nursery rhyme bear:

“Too smoky, too sweet,” he said of two recipes.

“Just right,” he said of a third.

Beams, bearded like Karnes, said he would keep his chin clean.

“The chili goes in the spoon and in the mouth,” he said.