Today, the Community Arts Council hosts its 42nd annual spring arts bazaar at Studio 2880.
The anchor event is the annual chili cookoff, a hot and fiercely contested battle for culinary supremacy, featuring local businesses, service clubs and politicians.
The Spice Cabinet has been a consistent winner for years, led by Prince George-Valemount Liberal MLA Shirley Bond and first Pat Bell and now Mike Morris, her Liberal colleague in Prince George-Mackenzie.
Last year, they had to settle for second, losing out to the folks at the community radio station, CFIS - FM 93.1.
Turns out the radio people don't just do hot air but a nice hot chili, too.
Trash talking like that has been a fixture of the chili cook off, as the volunteers often check out the competition and throw out some barbs to put the opposition off their game.
Back in 2012, I looked in the pot Pat and Shirley were serving out of and loudly proclaimed: "That must be the Liberal budget chili - all heat and no meat!"
Not to be outdone, Pat ambled over and checked out The Citizen's chili.
"The Citizen chili is like the paper - pretty thin with limited content!"
And so it went.
Last year, The Citizen finished third, right behind the Spice Cabinet. We've been working on our chili and our barbs in hopes of taking top spot this year.
Some potential one-liners aimed at the Spice Cabinet:
"Your chili looks orange this year."
"I think it's one ingredient short."
And my personal favourite: "even if you win, second and third place will combine their votes and you'll still lose."
In the spirit of good sportsmanship, here are some shots to aim back at me and Team Citizen:
"We read on Facebook that you're the biggest scumbag in Prince George. Your chili proves it."
"You can recycle the paper but your chili is toxic waste."
"At least your chili won't cause heartburn as much as your editorials do."
"This can't be The Citizen's chili. Where are the spelling mistakes and factual errors?"
Here are the other teams we're going to beat this year and some teasing to kick off this great event and fundraiser for the arts council:
The Jim Pattison Group: "Jim gave
$50 million to a Saskatchewan hospital this week. Too bad he couldn't spend $5 on this chili."
Yellowhead Rotary: "Chili's not your thing. Better stick with Taste of India."
Kiwanis: "You guys can put all the beer you want in that chili. You're still not Rotarians."
BCNE: "The pigs at this year's fair will love this chili!"
Ridge Side Art: "After looking at your chili, now we know why artists are starving."
PGSO: "Your chili is musical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot!"
Prince George Potters Guild: No insults allowed. These good folks are making the custom bowls that people will buy to try the chili.
They won't win, of course, but they're fine people.
So come try the chili and vote for ours because our mini cornbread muffins are awesome, too.
We'll be serving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
But come out because it's fun (both the food and the teasing), it's a great way to wrap up a fine morning spent at garage sales (using the garage sale map in today's Citizen) and you'll see and support all of the great work that the potters guild and the arts council does.
If you have to, take a Zantac and wash it down with some coffee (or some covfefe) first.
-- Managing editor Neil Godbout
