Saint Paul’s Favorite Chili Competition Is Back!
Vegan Byy Nature’s award-winning chili at the 2025 competition. Photo credit to the incredible Murph D Studios.
Spring has finally arrived — and so has your favorite chili competition! After a delayed start to the season in the Twin Cities, we’re thrilled to bring back the Vegan Chili Cook-Off and gather our community around some incredible food.
This year, local chefs will go head-to-head to earn the title of Minnesota’s best vegan chili. Come sample every single entry and cast your vote for the winner — your taste buds are the judge!
How the Cook-Off Works
- Come to the North Star Ballroom inside the Saint Paul Student Center
- Get your ticket at the check-in table
- Grab your plate and utensils
- Follow the line to make a circuit around to each competitor’s table. Each chili sample is labeled with a different number
- Eat your chilis!
- Use the voting forms on your table to rate each chili (if you don’t bring your smartphone, you can use the voting tablet at the check-in table to vote)
- Optional items:
- Enter the raffle for your favorite gift cards and food items.
- Stop by the CAA @ UMN and CAA tables to join the groups and take action to help animals.
- Bring a vegan food donation to drop off at the CAA table for a community food shelf!
Tickets, Admission & Volunteering
- FREE for college students with student ID, volunteers, and children under 15
- $10 tickets for the general public (cash, card, or online) — pre-purchase your ticket here to save your seat!
- A variety of volunteer slots are open – during, before, and after the event. Sign up to volunteer! Thank you to all our volunteers. (In addition to your free ticket, there will be some extra food available for you to fuel your volunteer work.)
Raffle, Prizes & Ways to Give Back
- When you enter, you get a raffle ticket to win snacks and prizes. Throughout the event, you can purchase extra tickets for $2 each. Stay til the end of the event for a chance to win raffle items!
- Want to contribute to your community? Bring hygiene items (like new toothpaste and toilet paper) or plant-based food items. We’ll donate the items to a local food shelf and post a photo afterwards.
The 2026 Competitors
We are pleased to welcome the following competitors to the competition!:
Everyone Is Welcome — Vegan or Not!
All are welcome at this event, regardless of age, race, or any other demographic – and whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, flexitarian, or still figuring it out. Great chili is for everyone!
We’ll have a kids’ table stocked with coloring books, Rubik’s Cubes, and simple activities. Kids are also welcome to sit anywhere at the event alongside their families. Parents and guardians are responsible for keeping an eye on their little ones during the event.
Got allergies? Competitors are asked to label their common allergens (soy, wheat/gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame). All the recipes for the chilis are vegan-friendly, meaning they contain no dairy, egg, shellfish, or fish ingredients.
Why a Vegan Chili Cook-Off? The Case for Plant-Based
Plant-based eating is an act of care and respect for our animal relatives; lowers the risk of certain human chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes; and lowers your carbon, land, and water footprints to protect the planet. This event is a great way to explore how delicious and varied plant-based diets are!
Last year’s competitors! Photo credit to Murph D Studios.
About the Organizers: Compassionate Action for Animals @ UMN
This event is organized by the University of Minnesota student chapter of Compassionate Action for Animals. A huge thank you to officers Ronan, Guinevere, and Blake for pulling it all together! Are you a student who cares about farmed animals and plant-based eating? Find the org on GopherLink here, or talk to the students at the CAA @ UMN table during the event.
Stay warm, stay fed, and celebrate spring with your community.
