Sausalito Annual Chili Cook-Off

Nearly Five Decades of Community Tradition

On the third Saturday of September, Dunphy Park is festooned with the tents of teams competing in Sausalito's Annual Chili Cook-Off — a tradition that has been bringing this community together every fall since the late 1970s. Nearly five decades of chili, community, competition, and waterfront September sunshine. That kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident — it happens because the event has always been exactly what it sets out to be: unpretentious, genuinely fun, and deeply rooted in the character of a town that knows how to celebrate itself.

All-You-Can-Eat Chili — Con Carne, Verde, Veggie & Everything in Between

Con carne, veggie, verde — you'll taste it all at the Sausalito Chili Cook-Off — and with 20-plus competing booths offering unlimited tastings on a single wristband, the potential for serious chili consumption is genuinely extraordinary. Unlimited tasting wristbands are available for $25 pre-sale and $30 the week of the event, with tasting beginning at 12:00 PM sharp — and not a minute before, a rule the crowd begins anticipating with some intensity from the moment they arrive at 11:30 for wristband pickup.

The competing teams are a mix of Sausalito locals, Bay Area enthusiasts, and serious competitors who have been working on their recipes year-round. All chili must be cooked that morning at the park — ingredients may be prepared prior to the cook-off, but the chili itself comes together live on the grounds, making the whole event a genuine performance as much as a competition. Walking through the competitor tents in the hour before tasting begins — watching pots bubble, smelling the accumulated complexity of dozens of different recipes all reaching their peak at the same moment — is one of the great sensory experiences on the Marin County fall calendar.

Two Award Categories — Judges' Choice and People's Choice

First, second, and third places are awarded in two categories: Judges' Choice, decided by a panel of elite judges who taste and evaluate each chili at 1:00 PM, and People's Choice, decided by the tasting public through a voting bean system — your wristband gets you beans, and you drop them in the bucket of your favorite chili. The People's Choice category closes at 3:15 PM or when competitors run out of chili — whichever comes first — which gives every team a genuine incentive to bring enough for the full crowd and gives every taster a genuine incentive to vote for their favorite before the buckets get pulled.

Waterfront September at Dunphy Park

Live music, the breeze off the bay, and the low hum of conversation between tastings turn Dunphy Park into one of the most pleasant places in Marin to spend a Saturday afternoon. You will see neighbors comparing notes on heat levels, kids darting between booths, and first-timers realizing they have stumbled into something far more memorable than a typical street fair.

Dunphy Park, Bridgeway & Napa Street, Sausalito, CA 94965 City of Sausalito Parks & Recreation · sausalito.gov

Third Saturday of September · Wristband pickup from 11:30 AM · Tasting begins 12:00 PM · People's Choice voting closes 3:15 PM or when chili runs out · Park admission free; unlimited tasting wristbands $25 pre-sale / $30 week-of