“We just deem it our corporate responsibility to give back to this great community,” Lansing BWL Public Relations Director Calvin Jones said.

Among all the vendors that crowded Adado Riverfront Park, Lansing Community College student Tyler Royston said it was difficult to choose which one had the best recipe.

“I can’t even pick a favorite,” he said. “They’re all different, but they’re also all really great.”

Royston added he returns to the cook-off every year, and always enjoys the festive environment.
Each year, event organizers choose a theme for the vendors to play off of, this year opting for the theme of “Rocking with the 80s.” Music from the decade blared from the speakers, while vendors recalled popular culture references from the time in designing their booths, including “Pac-Man” and “The Smurfs.”

Underneath a towering Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the movie “Ghostbusters,” volunteers from the Lansing Center dished their own chili concoction out to patrons. Lansing Center’s Marketing Manager Amanda Snook said the organization embraced the day’s theme.

“We went way all out — I think our booth is like 20 feet high and it’s very apparent across the field,” she said. “It’s something that’s noticeable, recognizable, brings some extra attention and maybe reels in some extra people for us.”

Snook said the cook-off likely benefited from being held the same day as Lansing’s Be A Tourist In Your Own Town event, which puts the spotlight on some of Lansing’s lesser-known attractions.

“It just pairs nicely and it’s so nice to see so many people out here experiencing what Lansing has to offer,” she said, “with some of the restaurants and see what hidden talents from people who aren’t in the food industry are cooking and get to experience some of the great food that we have here.”