The smell of roasted bell peppers and marinated beef wafted through the field house of Thornden Park as community members caught up with neighbors and soaked up some rare winter sunshine.

The Thornden Park Association hosted its 24th Annual Chili Bowl Festival on Sunday from 12 to 3 p.m. The money from the festival goes to renovations around the park, including maintenance and programming efforts.

Kiva VanDerGeest, treasurer of the board of Thornden Park Association, says that about 300 people attended the Chili Bowl Fest. The association also partnered with the Syracuse frisbee golf group tournament for a higher turnout, she confirmed.

A raffle was inside the Thornden Park Field House for attendees. Prizes from the raffle included gift certificates to local businesses such as Yeti Frozen Yogurt & Cafe and Phoebe’s Restaurant. Tickets to Syracuse Stage, Syracuse Mets and Syracuse Crunch were also available prizes.

“(The event) is kind of twofold in that we do a fundraiser, but it’s also just as like a nice day to get out in the winter and see your neighbors, enjoy some chili and enjoy the park,” VanDerGeest said.

Carol Simson, the co-founder of the festival and Thornden Park Association board member, said the format of the Chili Bowl Fest and its activities has changed over the years. In its first year, horse wagon rides around the park were offered to attendees.

Simson said that the event has been a way for neighbors to get to know one another.

“Really, our goal is to restore every inch of Thornden Park, and it is a historical park,” she said. “It is one of three in the city.”

Jonah Minkoff-Zern adds cheese to his bowl of chili. The Chili Bowl Fest featured four types of chili: Syracuse Chili, Field House Chili, Smokin’ OCC Chili and Westcott Red Bean Chili. Corey Henry | Photo Editor

Four types of chili were served at Thornden Park. Alex Jackson made two: the Syracuse Chili and the Field House Chili.

The Syracuse Chili combines a few Syracuse culinary classics such as Dinosaur BBQ spices, Middle Ages Syracuse Pale Ale and Gianelli pork sausage. The Field House Chili follows the classic comfort food recipe as it’s made with roast beef, red kidney beans, Dijon mustard, herbs and wine.

After his first year on the Thornden Park board, Jackson was approached by fellow board members to contribute to the Chili Fest. He says that as a “Syracuse lifer,” he’s enjoyed being able to contribute to the neighborhood he grew up in.

“This is the 24th year, and so they’ve been doing it for my entire childhood,” said Jackson.

One of the chilis, the Smokin’ OCC Chili, is made by one of Onondaga Community College’s student chefs. The chicken chili option also includes chipotle peppers, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and black beans.

Each year, a student from OCC’s professional cooking program comes down for the day to cook for festival attendees.

The last chili, the Westcott Red Bean Chili, is an option for vegan and vegetarian attendees. The recipe features red beans, tomatoes, allspice, cloves, oregano and organic, unsalted chili powder.

Efforts from today’s fundraiser are being put toward clearing walkways and placing new lights on the entrance pillars of Thornden Park. Simson says that organizations that use the park, such as the Nottingham High School football team, help and reap the benefits of the park restoration efforts.

“It’s really great how we’re all connected, and we all help each other,” Simson said.

Published on March 1, 2020 at 10:08 pm

Contact Amy: abnakamu@syr.edu