Registration & Guidelines

Chili Cook-Off Committee
uhdchili@uhd.edu

Ready to turn on the heat?

Register a team to enter the UHD Chili Cook-Off! Pull together a crew of students, staff, faculty, alumni, affiliated partners, or community members for the chance to bring the flavor and stir up some friendly competition. Whether you're a seasoned Cook-Off chef or a green newcomer looking to spice things up, all are welcome.

Team Guidelines

Chili Cook-Off team may consist of students, staff, faculty, alumni, and affiliated partners. Family and friends (community) are also invited to participate. Teams must have a minimum of 5 members.
Teams must produce a minimum of 6 gallons of chili. They must be prepared to serve about 200+ attendees.
UHD employees competing in the event do not have to take vacation leave between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (or any times that align with their regular work schedule that fall during the time frame of the event) as this is a university-sponsored event.
Teams will be allowed to bring BEER/WINE only; NO liquor is allowed.
1. Those who consume beer and wine must obtain a wristband from the Chili Cook-Off Hospitality Tent.
2. UHD Employees who choose to consume alcohol before 5:00 p.m. must take vacation or compensatory paid leave, as it is against policy to consume alcohol during work hours.
3. Teams may not consume alcohol until 12:00 p.m.
4. Alcohol must be consumed within the specified event grounds.
5. The following WILL NOT BE PERMITTED: glass bottles, kegs, drinking games, binge drinking, or devices intended to accelerate alcohol consumption.
Teams will be provided with 2 complimentary parking spots in a designated location for non-UHD employees. UHD employees should park in designated employee parking areas.
Team names must be posted and visible at their assigned booth; team banners are allowed and encouraged.
One table and two chairs are provided for each team. You may bring extra, but it must fit in your space.
Teams are encouraged to bring one tent per assigned space, but it cannot exceed 12'x12' in size. UHD Facilities team will assist with anchoring tents with university-provided tie-downs.
Teams are responsible for transporting equipment from their vehicle to their assigned spot. Please do not request assistance from UHD facilities.
Music that is extremely loud or contains profane, explicit, or inappropriate lyrics will NOT be permitted. Teams must stop playing music at levels audible beyond their tent at 4:00 p.m. or when the official event musical performers begin, whichever is earlier.
Please be respectful to those around your booth space.
Rain or shine, the event will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026, unless a major natural disaster or storm occurs.

Registration

The team registration fee for UHD affiliates (student, staff, faculty, alumni) is $15, and for non-affiliated partners it is $50.
The Team Registration Form must be completed and submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2026.
The team captain or co-captain must attend the required Team Captain’s Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. in OMB N600 (Training Room). We will offer the meeting via Zoom, but we prefer that you attend the meeting face-to-face.
Required Team Forms may be submitted at the Team Captain’s Meeting. A link to the Required Team Forms will be emailed directly to team Captains and Co-Captains upon completion of the Team Registration Form.
Teams must have at least two members complete the Texas Food Handler Certification. They must submit copies of the certificates at the Team Captain’s Meeting. At least one certificate holder must always be present at the event. Any of these certifications will suffice:

Payment

Teams can now pay their registration fee by downloading and filling out a Credit Card Authorization Form and then emailing the completed form to cashiers@uhd.edu. The registration fee is due by April 1, 2026 and is non-refundable.

Volunteer Guidelines

Volunteers should check in at Hospitality Tent to receive their assignment, t-shirt, and volunteer schedule.
UHD employees volunteering at the event do not have to take vacation leave between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (or any times that align with their regular work schedule and fall during the time frame of the event) as this is a university-sponsored event.
Volunteers will receive 2 complimentary attend the event.

Vendor Registration & Guidelines

If you run a local business or organization and would like to have a booth at the Chili Cook-Off, we encourage you to submit a Vendor Registration Form by Friday, March 27.

The registration fee is $25 for UHD affiliated vendors (faculty, staff, students, alumni) and $50 for non-UHD affiliated vendors. To send payment, please email a completed Credit Card Authorization Form to cashiers@uhd.edu.

Due to the nature of this event, vendors are not permitted to sell food except for desserts and candy. We'll update this page with full Vendor Guidelines soon.