When he heard the plinks of food pellets falling out of the dispenser, the reindeer Dancer nudged his mouth and nose through the metal fence.
Four-year-old East Lansing resident Sarah Postema stretched out her hand and Dancer lapped the snack away.
"Ooh, it tickles," Sarah said and giggled. "It's kind of scratchy."
Reindeer petting was one of the events during East Lansing's Winter Festival and Chili Cook-Off on Sunday afternoon. Other activities included professional ice sculpture carving, horse-drawn carriage rides, Christmas caroling and visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Inside the chili-tasting room in the Marriott at University Place, 300 M.A.C. Ave., nine East Lansing restaurants brought their finest recipes for hundreds of residents to taste. The smell of the food rose up from the hot platters and jazz musicians kept the hungry visitors entertained.
"This is the worst one yet," said microbiology senior Kirsten Kulek, gesturing to the sampling of chili in her bowl. "It's too watery, and it has way too much garlic."
Kulek said she came with physiology junior Christina DeVincent because they were hungry and needed a study break. The two women differed on which chili should win the people's choice award.
"She liked number six and I liked three," Kulek said. The samples were unmarked and received votes from residents and a panel of local judges.
One of the judges, Sharon Radtke, walked, with clipboard in hand, reviewing the food. The assistant director of special programs for MSU's Alumni Association said although she loves the chili, the bigger thrill for her is seeing all the East Lansing residents participating in the holiday event.
"It's so great to see," she said. "It's grown into this big thing."
The original Chili Cook-off used to take place in Beggar's Banquet, 218 Abbott Road, with a small crowd, said Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing's community events coordinator. Sunday's event drew about 1,500 people and more than 800 at the cook-off, she said.
"We do it as a community-building event," Van Antwerp said. "It's also a promotion tool for the downtown."
Van Antwerp said local businesses will likely see an increase while residents get a free and festive event.
"We serve about 135 gallons of hot chili," she said. "That's a lot of chili."
The winner of the people's choice award was The Post Bar, 213 Ann St., and the judges' choice was Bistro 43 in the Marriott at University Place.
But chili wasn't the only thing getting people into the holiday spirit.
At the corner of M.A.C. and Albert avenues, the hum of chain saws drew a crowd to watch several people carve ice into shapes. Two ornaments and a tree were already finished with flickering lights inside.
"If it stays overcast, I would think these will be around at least for the weekend," said sculptor Scott Miller after working on an ice snowflake.
Across the street, the bells on two black horses jingled as a carriage full of people unloaded from the ride.
Eight-year-old Lansing resident Sam McAlvey jumped down the steps and ran to pet the horses' noses.
"It was OK," McAlvey said of the carriage ride. "I haven't tried everything yet."
