Lansing — The riverfront buzzed with energy Friday night as the Lansing Board of Water and Light held its annual Chili Cook-Off.

The cook-off, now in its 11th year, hosted 39 booths, with 1,500 gallons of chili served, said John Strickler, spokesman for the Lansing Board of Water and Light.

Greeted by a warm and sunny day, visitors tasted chili, salsa and other foods at booths that wound along the downtown River Trail between Michigan Avenue and Shiawassee Street. They paid $5 to taste the food, with the proceeds going to charity.

Besides chili, two live bands blasted music, and visitors had the chance to ride a mechanical bull.

Some said the festival was a great way to get people downtown after 5 p.m., when most of the people who work in the area leave.

"Because we're in REO Town, we felt it was important to come out and support our community," said Anita Epolito, special events coordinator for the Cadillac Club, 1115 S. Washington Ave.

REO Town is the neighborhood south of downtown Lansing.

The Cadillac Club submitted a chocolate chili recipe and won the "best booth award" for its brightly designed booth, which featured a glittery chili pepper in chocolate against a yellow backdrop. It also won the "people's choice award."

"It's intense because you think it's going to be a weird concoction, and when you eat it, you taste the chocolate," Epolito said. "And then the heat hits you."

There were some newcomers to the festival this year, including the Ranch House Original Texas Barbecue, on the corner of Holt and Aurelius roads in Holt.

Co-owner Fred Mendoza said he enjoyed meeting members of the community and felt the festival was well-organized.

"It was a great feeling to have people say, after sampling the chili, that they were going to come visit us," Mendoza said.

Organizations other than restaurants submitted chili, such as the U.S. Postal Service and Lansing Fire Fighters IAFF Local 421, which served up their own varieties.

Many of the people working the firefighters' booth said they liked coming out and meeting people in a calm environment, rather than at the usual fire or emergency.

Local 421's booth featured a siren that wailed occasionally, and those staffing the booth handed out hats to visitors.

For many, the festival served as a way to give people a chance to taste their food and hopefully come back for more.

"It's always a blast," said Lee Irish, owner of Draft House, 12449 U.S. 27 Hwy. in DeWitt. "It gives people a chance to taste the food, and hopefully they come to the restaurant."

Penny Hawkins, general manager of Beggar's Banquet, 218 Abbott Road, said she enjoys coming out to meet people in a community event.

Its theme was soccer — in honor of the FIFA World Cup — and servers were dressed in colorful uniforms.

"It's always a fun event for us," Hawkins said.

The cook-off was one of many events that drew people downtown during the weekend. There also was the "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" event on Saturday and a charity 5K run Friday afternoon.