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Chili and Cupcake Showdown in Urbandale, Iowa

By March 20, 2023No Comments

Urbandale (Iowa) Baptist Church gathered on the evening of February 27 for some fierce competition over secret chili recipes and cupcake delicacies.

For the eighth year, Urbandale Baptist hosted a men’s Chili Cookoff as an outreach event and this year added a Cupcake Showdown for ladies. The purpose of the event was to encourage the church members to invite friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others to compete in the competition and enjoy the night of fun at the church.

The event was complete with trophies, ribbons, certificates, and bragging rights after earning a People’s Choice award. Nathan Pelletier, director of discipleship at a Christian school, and Joel Willoughby, a member of Ankeny (Iowa) Baptist Church and founder of Brains and Bibles, were the judges. They evaluated the 16 chilis on color, texture, taste, smell, and afterburn and gave awards for each of those categories. Everyone in attendance voted on the 11 cupcakes, based on theme, creativity, and taste.

Pastor Nathan Gast says, “The evening was well attended by several first-time visitors and has become one of the favorite events of the church family.”