The Arkansas State Championship Hillbilly Chili Cook-off heats up Sept. 17 and 18 in Bull Shoals, giving contestants a last chance to win a spot in the World's Championship Chili Cook-off in Reno, Nevada, and attendees a chance to eat the best chili in The Natural State.

The 9th annual cook-off begins Friday evening, Sept. 17 with live music, and a chance to meet the chili cook-off competitors. A limited number of tickets will be available for Friday. Numerous activities, including the chili cook-off, take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18. Admission is $1 for adults and free for children 12 and under. All activities take place at Bull Shoals City Park, a wooded park with easy access and free parking.

Live music will be performed throughout the day and artisans and crafters will be selling their wares. Each year, the 178 Club restaurant in Bull Shoals sells chili, hot dogs and bratwurst and the Shriners offer corn on the cob. Other food vendors will sell funnel cakes and kettle corn.

The actual chili competition heats up at 11 a.m. Cooks compete in three categories: traditional red chili, chili verde and salsa. Judging will take about one hour with prize monies presented about 3 p.m. About 25 professional cooks are expected. Cooks come from all over the country to compete. After the competition, the chili is offered to the public. Each cook must also provide one gallon of People's Choice Chili, which the public may vote on. Beginning at 11 a.m., the public may buy tasting kits for $1. Each kit allows a person to taste three chilies. The public can cast a ballot for the People's Choice whether having sampled all the chilies or not.

Bull Shoals's annual cook-off is one of the last competitions "chiliheads" can enter to qualify for the world championship cook-off. The event is an International Chili Society sanctioned event. The ICS is a non-profit organization that sanctions chili cook-offs with judging and cooking rules and regulations. These events are world wide and benefit charities or non-profit organizations. All winners of ICS sanctioned cook-offs qualify to compete for cash prizes and awards at the World's Championship Chili Cook-off held each year on the first weekend of October, and this year in Reno, Nevada. The ICS is the largest food contest, festival organization in the world.

For more information on attractions and lodging in and around Bull Shoals, a resort town in the Ozark Mountain region in north-central Arkansas, visit www.bullshoals.org.