Get your chili pots ready for Woodstock cook-off

The recent snowfall may have more than a few cooks pulling out their tried and true chili recipes.

The 2006 winner of the Woodstock Groundhog Days Festival Chili Cook-off, Dale Lavan, is looking forward to competing again.

Last year's chefs offered a variety of tastes with some using ground beef, others using chicken and another using chunk bison. Meats are donated by Jones Country Meats of Woodstock.

Entries are being taken now for the Groundhog Days Festival Chili Cook-off.

Contestants will meet the morning of Feb. 2 to prepare their unique recipes.

A panel of judges will taste the different concoctions to determine a champion.

The public is invited to sample the chili, and vote for the "People's Choice" award. Tasting will be at noon in the Woodstock Opera House.

The competition is open to anyone. Rules and entry forms are available by calling event chairman Rick Bellairs at (815) 334-2618 or e-mailing Rick@RickBellairs.com.

The Groundhog Days Festival celebrates the 1993 filming of the movie "Groundhog Day" in and around Woodstock.

Other events include a wine tasting and a dinner dance.

After the chili cook-off Feb. 2 there will be a guided walking tour of the film sites around town.

There will be free showings Feb. 3 of "Groundhog Day" the movie at the Woodstock Theater. The main event is the groundhog prognostication at 7 a.m. on the Woodstock Square.

Complete details are available from the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce at (815) 338-2436.