With so little time to get off campus the Annual Chili Cook Off was a fantastic excuse to get down to the Commons and relax a little. I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe just a small thing with a few stalls on the side, or maybe something a little bigger. What I found when I got there was a town -wide celebration with every store and restaurant represented by a stall. Each stall I went to had better chili than the last, and I found that the 7 tickets we were given ran out very quickly. My favorite chili had to be the one served by the Loui’s Food Truck stall. However, if I’m allowed to have a favorite dish other than chili, the Texas Roadhouse stand had fresh buns with honey butter that was so good I used a ticket to get seconds.

But, looking past the food, the biggest aspect that I noticed about this event was how it brought the community together. In the town I’m from, there was never a feeling of community and everyone tended to keep to themselves. At the Cook-Off, there was a very real sense of togetherness, with everyone enjoying the hot chili on a cold Saturday morning. At every stall, the people in it were extremely warm and open to talking if no one was waiting in line behind me. It’s the sort of thing you might see in a movie but never experience in real life. It’s in moments like these that I believe Ithaca truly shines. While it may not be the biggest or most modern town, it gives off an air of friendliness and welcoming that many places lack. I greatly enjoyed myself and will be sure to go back next year.